Unlike the rest of the Indian states, the state of Puducherry has been publicly exhibiting the ongoing feud between the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor for the past few years and the fight between the head of the state and the head of the government has resumed again, amid the Coronavirus outbreak, to withhold their respective powers in the state. 

This time, Governor Kiran Bedi and Chief Minister Narayanasamy have clashed each other over the sale of liquor in the territory while it has been under the complete lockdown to curb the spread of Coronavirus. Although the state government has relaxed the restrictions, it hasn't permitted to resume the operations of the liquor shops.     

Our sources say that the closure of the liquor shops had paved the way for the grounds of illegal sales of liquors. After having been reported with illegal sales, the retail traders appealed to the opposition MLAs and claimed that such trades are affecting their livelihoods. Based on their report, ADMK MLA has notified Kiran Bedi about the illegal trade and demanded to cease such markets in Puducherry.

Following that, Kiran Bedi has directed to seal the liquor shops and ordered the authorities to review the available stocks in the outlets. The Puducherry police had swung into action to curb the illegal markets. They have filed over 224 cases and suspended the license of 130 outlets. They have also confiscated 30,000 liters of alcohol worth Rs 67 lakh. 

According to our sources, Kiran Bedi was told that the functioning of the illegal markets has been aided by the police officials and excise department authorities following which the Lieutenant Governor said that the police chief of the respective zone, where illegal trade has been reported, would be called for investigation through video-conferencing. Bedi stated that the probe would be carried out in the presence of the state's Director General of Police. 

Soon after she came into the picture, the state had seen several transfers and arrests. The police had arrested Villianur Tahsildar Karthikeyan for being involved in the sale of illegal liquor. About seven police officers including the inspector and the sub-inspector had been transferred to the firearms department and these transfers have been ordered by Kiran Bedi.

The direct transfers inside the state government without the involvement of the Chief Minister had resumed the fight between each other amid fighting COVID-19 pandemic. The government officials had appealed to Narayanaswamy on the transfers after which the Chief Minister, who is the in-charge of the state disaster management, had revoked the orders of transfers passed by the DGP and let the officers stay in their previous roles.

The Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor have been exhibiting their powers from both sides of the aisle causing a chaotic atmosphere on the state machinery on its fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.