An incident which took place at a government event on Tuesday has increased the existing friction between the elected government in Puducherry and the Centre-appointed Lieutenant Governor. This time, it was AIADMK MLA A Anbalagan who got into a heated argument with the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi in a public function.
The MLA, who represents the Oupalam constituency in Puducherry legislative assembly, was speaking at an event organised by the Government of Puducherry to declare the region as Open Defecation Free (ODF). It was attended by Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi and ministers from the Puducherry government including the Local Administration minister A Namassivayam.
New low... #Puducherry Lt Give #KiranBedi & #AIADMK MLA engaged in a verbal spat at a public event#AIADMK MLA claims that his mic was switched off during his speech
— Shabbir Ahmed (@Ahmedshabbir20) October 2, 2018
Kiran Bedi asks MLA to leave the Dias & he says the same to her #Puducherry #KiranBedi pic.twitter.com/lgF7vY6cuC
Here is the video of #KiranBedi & #AIADMK MLA Anbazhagan engaged in a verbal spat at a public event in #Puducherry pic.twitter.com/SBh3oVXwfB
— Shabbir Ahmed (@Ahmedshabbir20) October 2, 2018
According to a few Tamil channels, the issue began when A Anbalagan, while speaking on the dais, listed out the schemes pending completion in his constituency, and he claimed these schemes were awaiting approval from the governor. Kiran Bedi, who was sitting on the stage, immediately walked to the podium and asked the staff there to switch his microphone off. However, Kiran Bedi tweeted that the MLA had spoken beyond the time allotted to him and they had to switch off the microphone when he showed no signs of stopping his speech.
An MLA’s Mike had to b turned off when he persistently rejected any req from panel of Hble Ministers to limit his speech.
— Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) October 2, 2018
He rejected all appeals. He shouted back. I hav seen him do this earlier too. Event was to give away awards for good work done in making Puducherry ODF @ANI
The MLA, angry at this, got off the podium and engaged in an argument with Kiran Bedi telling her that it was wrong of her to have told the staff to switch the microphone off when he was in the middle of his speech.
“It is wrong to insult an MLA on stage like this. You show your power to the ministers here and not to me,” he told her.
Kiran Bedi, can then be seen in videos folding both her palms, requested him to go back and continue his speech. She also told the other dignitaries on the stage that she does not understand Tamil and asked Anbalagan not to spoil the function. In one of the videos, Kiran Bedi can be heard telling the MLA, "Please go". He then tells her back, "Please go."
Local Administration minister A Namassivayam, who was also on the dais, tried pacifying Anbalagan, who shouted at him also.
Anbalagan refused to budge, shouted at both of them and walked out of the event midway.