Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today termed as 'baseless and untrue', charges by Lt Governor Kiran Bedi that elected representatives had a role in public levelling charges against her.
He rejected her charge that elected representatives were spreading false information against her that she was standing in the way of implementation of welfare schemes.
Villagers are up in arms against Bedi on their own as they bore the brunt of lack of availability of welfare schemes to them, including free rice, he told reporters here at a function to celebrate the election of Rahul Gandhi as Congress president.
None of the elected representatives has any role in people levelling charges against her and the Lt Governor's charges are baseless and untrue, he said.
"People are nowadays aware of what is happening in the administration and also as to who is responsible for the hiccups various welfare schemes faced in seeing the light of day," the Chief Minister said.
Narayanasamy also alleged that Bedi was not informing the Ministry or officials in advance about her tour programmes and the places she planned to visit every Saturday and Sunday.
"If any untoward incident happens we will not be responsible and hence the Lt Governor should apprise the Ministers concerned or officials about her tour programmes," he said adding "otherwise it would not be possible to provide security to her."
Narayanaswami said he has constantly maintained that the Lt Governor should not 'take the law into her hands' and not level sweeping charges against elected representatives.
He made it clear that whenever the Lt Governor received any complaints from the public she should forward them to the Ministers concerned, who in turn would do so to the Secretaries of the departments concerned to initiate action.
"We have self-respect and will never compromise on the powers of an elected government," he added.
Bedi said on December 9 that some elected representatives were spreading false information against Raj Nivas "to malign its reputation' and urged people not to be misled by it.
She said men and women from various pockets had been meeting her during her weekend trips to hamlets,alleging that she was blocking the scheme for free distribution of rice and other essential commodities.
"As I cannot speak Tamil these individuals are using every opportunity to malign the reputation of office of the Lt Governor," she said.
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