Eyebrows were raised at the reception hosted by Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi at the Raj Nivas on Republic Day when Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and his Cabinet colleagues, Lok Sabha member V. Vaithilingam and Speaker V.P. Sivakolunthu left the venue in a huff after attending the function for a few minutes. Both the Chief Minister and Ms. Bedi did take much notice of each other.
Ms. Bedi felicitated Manoj Das from Puducherry who has won the Padma Bhushan award for literature and education. She also felicitated the terracotta artist V.K. Munusamy from Puducherry who won the Padma Shri award. While Social Welfare Minister M. Kandasamy first left the venue within 10 minutes of commencement of the reception, the Chief Minister and others followed him. Sources said the Chief Minister was taken by surprise during the programme that the Padma award-winners were felicitated without providing prior information to them. Mr. Narayanasamy was seen airing his anger at an official before leaving the venue. Chief Secretary Ashwani Kumar, Secretaries to Government, French Consul-General Catherine Suard and BJP legislators attended the reception.
