Bedi asks CM to pay fine for bike rally without helmet

PUDUCHERRY: In continuing the verbal duel with Chief Minister V Narayanasamy over helmet rule, Lt Governor Kiran Bedi has rejected as incomparable her incognito pillion ride and his participation in a two-wheeler rally for bypoll campaign without the headgear and asked him to own up the ‘mistake’ and face the law.

In a counter to Narayanasamy after he asked her to practice before preaching, Bedi said her travel at night on a two-wheeler (driven by a woman staff of her office) on August 19, 2017, incognito to check women’s safety was different from the Chief Minister riding a two-wheeler as part of the rally on Saturday.

“The two are not comparable Mr. Chief Minister. Mine was a ride to check if women are safe at night in Puducherry on the roads. But yours is for votes and hence face the law,” she said in a message late on Sunday night.

“Please face the law as a citizen would,” she said pointing out the Chief Minister also held the Home portfolio.

Bedi and Narayanasamy, who have been at loggerheads over various issues, got into a verbal duel on Sunday over the helmet rule with both accusing each other of violating it.

A former IPS officer, Bedi charged Narayanasamy and other ruling Congress functionaries with violating the Motor Vehicles Act by riding two-wheelers without wearing mandatory helmets during the rally on the last day of campaign in Kamaraj Nagar Assembly by-election, being held Monday.

“This is a brazen violation of Motor Vehicles Act and also directions of Madras High Court and the Supreme Court on wearing helmets by two-wheeler riders. Rule of law should prevail,” she had said. Accusing Narayanasamy of “coming in the way of enforcement of helmet rules,” she had contended the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues should be fined for riding two-wheelers without helmets in the rally.