Kiran Bedi removed as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry

Kiran Bedi

Dr Kiran Bedi was removed as the Lieutenat Governor of Puducherry on February 16. The former IPS officer, was appointed the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry in May 2016.

She will be replaced by Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, the Governor of Telangana, who has been given the additional charge as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, news agency ANI reported.

A statement released by the Rashtrapati Bhavan read: “The President has directed that Dr Kiran Bedi shall cease to hold the office of the Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry and has appointed Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Telangana, to discharge the functions of the Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry, in addition to her own duties, with effect from the date she assumes charge of her office, until regular arrangements for the office of Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry are made.”

Puducherry Minister continues dharna against Lt Governor Kiran Bedi

Notably, the Puducherry government and Kiran Bedi had been at loggerheads for long with the former even writing to President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking her removal from the post.

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy has alleged on multiple occasions that the former L-G of the union territory tried to obstruct smooth administration by impeding the implementation of government decisions.

Narayanasamy had also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kiran Bedi “hatched a conspiracy to dismantle the separate status of Puducherry by merging it with Tamil Nadu.”