The dharna by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy against Lt Governor Kiran Bedi outside the Raj Nivas entered the fourth day with the former virtually rejecting her invitation for a meeting on February 21 over his demand seeking clearance of 39 government proposals.
Besides Narayanasamy, his ministerial colleagues and MLAs of the ruling Congress and its ally DMK are staging the dharna accusing Bedi of adopting a negative stand towards the proposals, including a free rice scheme, awaiting her approval. The Lt Governor and the government headed by Narayanasamy have been at loggerheads over various issues ever since Bedi assumed office in May, 2016.
Narayanasamy had led an agitation in front of the Parliament on January 4, demanding that the Centre sanction statehood for Puducherry and recall Bedi. DMK president Stalin also extended his support for Narayanaswamy's protest as he spoke and vouched his support over phone to him.
