In Puducherry, Lt Guv Kiran Bedi gets into verbal spat with AIDMK MLA; video goes viral

AIADMK MLA A Anbalagan on Tuesday hit out at Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, claiming that she was a hurdle in the way of development.

Anbalagan and Bedi got into a verbal spat at a government event earlier in the day, following which the Puducherry LG was heard yelling at him to leave. Bedi had even asked officials to switch off the microphone even as the latter was speaking.

MLAs aren't at all respected. Everything is conducted in a very undemocratic manner. She should change her attitude. She is the main person standing as hurdle in way of development here:AIADMK MLA A Anbalagan on verbal spat b/w him&Puducherry Guv Kiran Bedi on stage at govt event pic.twitter.com/9nbQU7K04L

— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2018

At an event organised by Puducherry government to declare the union territory to be open defecation free, Anbazhagan, the floor leader of the AIADMK’s legislature party, got furious when the microphone was switched off abruptly when he was speaking about the delay in execution of the schemes as the Lt Governor did not give her approval for it.

#WATCH Verbal spat on stage between Puducherry Governor Kiran Bedi and AIADMK MLA A Anbalagan at a government function. The argument reportedly broke out over duration of MLA's speech pic.twitter.com/bptFSr80nC

— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2018

As he was continuing to address the event, Bedi rose from her chair on the stage and asked the official to switch his microphone off. The furious MLA engaged in a heated argument with Bedi saying that it was wrong to insult an MLA on stage like this. “You show your power to the ministers here and not to me,” the MLA can be heard telling her in the video which has gone viral on social media.

Even as Bedi can be seen requesting the MLA with folded hands to “please go back” to the seat, Anbazhagan angrily retorted saying, “please go”. The MLA also refused to go back to his seat despite requests from minister Namasivayam. “Is this a government?” the MLA shouted at the minister seeking to know why his microphone was switched off. He later walked out of the event midway.

An MLA’s Mike had to b turned off when he persistently rejected any req from panel of Hble Ministers to limit his speech.
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

— Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) October 2, 2018

Bedi, however, said the MLA was not even scheduled to speak at the event but was given a chance since he insisted on speaking at the event to declare Puducherry to be Open Defecation free. “Once the presentation programme was over he came to the mike and went on and on beyond reasonable time when there was a long programme to follow. But he rejected any such written slips/messages and scoffed at requests from the Cabinet ministers and me personally,” she said.

With all requests going unheeded, Bedi said she asked the mike to be switched off only after he rejected her personal request to end the speech. “He continued to be rude to everyone present there. Finally, after all, that he wanted to say, he left in a huff. Incidentally, this is not the first time the MLA has done something like this. I have witnessed similar misbehaviour of his earlier too where he left in a huff when he asked to respect others time,” she added.