New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday flew down to extend support to his Puducherry counterpart, V. Narayanasamy, who has been sitting on an indefinite sit-in protest against the lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi’s “dictatorship and undemocratic functioning”.Narayanasamy heads the Congress-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam alliance government in Puducherry. His dharna outside the Raj Niwas, the official residence of the LG, entered its sixth day on February 18. The protest intensified on Sunday when Narayanasamy and his ministers hoisted black flags atop their houses as a mark of protest against Bedi. While extending his support, Kejriwal repeated his demand for full statehood for Delhi and other union territories which have elected governments. “UT (Union Territory) status to Delhi and Puducherry is an injustice to their people. We will fight together for full statehood,” the Delhi chief minister said. Ever since the AAP government was elected in Delhi, Kejriwal has had several run-ins with the LGs of Delhi – first, Najeeb Jung and currently, Anil Baijal – over division of powers. While the Supreme Court in a recent ruling gave the majority of powers to the LG – the Centre’s representative – the AAP protested saying the apex court’s order was antithetical to democratic principles. Against this backdrop, Kejriwal’s visit to Puducherry indicates that the fight between UTs like Delhi and the Centre is far from over – and is likely to intensify. Politically, the meeting between Kejriwal and Narayanasamy is also crucial as the AAP reportedly has been eager to ally with the reticent Delhi unit of Congress in the upcoming general elections. “People elect state governments to look into their affairs. But the PM tries to make them defunct through LG. This is the only achievement of Modi in the last five years,” said Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who was accompanying Kejriwal. While the opposition parties are attempting to forge a nation-wide alliance to defeat the BJP in different states ahead of the parliamentary polls, the meeting of the two chief ministers on Monday signals a broad alignment that may foreground the Centre’s alleged high-handed administrative approach towards states and union territories. The letter Narayanasamy wrote to Bedi reflects the same.Puducherry CM by on Scribd“From the day your good self assumed office in the Raj Nivas (May, 2016), Puducherry as Hon’ble Lt. Governor, your actions have been in violation of the democratic ethos and a clear disrespect for the elected representatives, which I have been trying to bring to your goodself knowledge and also I have been advising your goodself to change your goodself for the good governance of Puducherry,” the Puducherry chief minister wrote. He goes on to list numerous incidents where he alleged Bedi to have superseded the government’s powers. He accused the LG of nullifying at least 39 welfare proposals initiated by the Congress-DMK government, thus slowing down Puducherry’s progress and development.Narayanasamy further said that it was unfortunate that he had to resort to holding a protest as the LG has disregarded all his requests. He added that the government will plan a “jail bharo” (fill the prisons) agitation if Bedi does not give her approval to important welfare programmes.He alleged that although the former IPS officer and BJP leader “has been making tall claims that austerity should be observed in public life”, she has spent a substantial amount of government funds on attending private functions in Delhi. “The above actions by your goodself are clear cases which are unconstitutional, illegal and wanton acts to stop development works in Puducherry to bring disrepute to the democratically elected Congress and DMK alliance Government in Puducherry,” Narayanasamy wrote in his letter.“Therefore, I request your goodself to take corrective measures immediately to set right your unconstitutional and illegal way of functioning and respond to my letter in respect of the anomalies/illegalities created by you and thereby creating anarchic situation in this state,” he added. Later, senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma handed over the letter to the union home minister Rajnath Singh. Bedi has reportedly agreed to Narayanasamy’s request for a discussion on all the contentious issues.