Puducherry All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) legislature party leader A. Anbalagan on Tuesday created a ruckus at an official meeting to declare Puducherry Open Defecation Free (ODF) after he was requested by the organisers to cut short his address as Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi had to attend other important functions.
Mr. Anbalagan was not in the list of speakers, though he was an invitee along with Member of Parliament R. Radhakrishnan. Before the programme began, he objected to his exclusion from the list of speakers. Minister for Public Works A. Namassivayam pacified him and escorted him to the stage. Ms. Bedi too invited him on stage.
Hits out at officials
After a presentation by Project Director P.T Rudra Goud, he was invited to speak. He began by taking a swipe at officials for not including hms as a speaker. As he began to point out the ''failures'' of the ruling Congress and the alleged continued negligence of his constituency, the Lt. Governor directed an official to request Mr. Anbalagan to cut short his speech. He ignored the plea and continued.
After a few minutes, another note requesting him to wind up was handed over on the direction of the Lt. Governor. But the AIADMK leader took the note from the official, folded it and kept in his pocket. Ms. Bedi then moved towards the podium and with folded hands requested him to wind up his address as others had little time left to speak. But he continued with his attack on the government.
A visibly upset Ms. Bedi directed the authorities to switch off the mike, triggering a verbal duel between the two. Both were heard shouting at each other. He was also heard asking Ms. Bedi to show her power to the elected representatives and not him. He also vented his anger at Mr. Namassivayam when the latter tried to pacify him. The meeting resumed after Mr. Anbalgan left the stage in a huff.
Later, talking to reporters later, Mr. Anabalagan said he was denied his right to highlight the plight of his constituency. Terming the ODF declaration a “farce”, he said there were around 400 applicants in his constituency awaiting assistance to construct toilets. The government had turned a blind eye to demands for better amenities in his constituency for a long time, he alleged.
