DMK chief M.K. Stalin has termed the Centre's move to remove Kiran Bedi from the post of Puducherry lieutenant-governor an "eyewash", given that elections are impending in the Union territory.
Bedi was removed on Tuesday evening. Telangana Governor Tamilasai Soundararajan has been given temporary charge of Puducherry. The move to remove Bedi came as the Congress-DMK coalition government in Puducherry went into a minority after one more Congress MLA quit from the Assembly.
In a statement, Stalin termed the move to remove Bedi a "delayed action" and warned that the people of Puducherry would never forgive the BJP "… for spoiling the state with dirty politics".
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Stalin termed as a "huge mistake" the Centre allowing Bedi to continue in her post for so long. Bedi had frequent tussles with the V. Narayanasamy government in Puducherrry. Stalin alleged Bedi had been ridiculing the Constitution and democracy. Stalin accused Bedi of stopping the elected government from discharging its duties.
“It is a farcical drama on the part of the BJP government to remove her just three months before the Assembly election since it allowed her to function as a rival chief minister and crippled the development of Puducherry,” Stalin was quoted as saying by The Hindu.
(With inputs from Lakshmi Subramanian)