Tamilisai Soundararajan Sworn In As Lieutenant Governor Of Puducherry

Tamilisai Soundararajan, former Tamil Nadu BJP President and Telangana Governor was sworn in as  Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. Soundararajan was handed the additional charge of Puducherry by President Ram Nath Kovind, days after removal of Kiran Bedi from the same post.

Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Sanjib Banerjee swore in Soundararajan at Raj Nivas on Thursday, reports The Indian Express. Assembly Speaker V P Sivakolundhu, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and Leader of Opposition N Rangasamy attended her swearing-in ceremony.

With this Tamilisai Soundararajan is now the fifth woman to be appointed as the Lt Governor of Puducherry. She is the first Tamil-speaking Lt Governor of the Union Territory.

On February 16, the President’s office had announced the removal of former cop Kiran Bedi's removal from the said post. "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," said the statement from Rashtrapati Bhawan. Bedi had been the Lt Governor of Puducherry since 2016.

Following her removal, Bedi shared a farewell note on social media, in which thanked the government for a “lifetime experience”. Bedi also wrote that whatever she did was her sacred duty and moral responsibilities towards the constitution.

"I thank all those who worked with me closely. I can say with a deep sense of satisfaction that ‘TeamRajNivas’ diligently worked to serve the larger public interest," she added. You can read more on Bedi's farewell note here.

Image Credit: Tamilisai Soundararajan/ Twitter