Pawar to urge Shah to recall Lakshadweep Administrator

New Delhi: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has sought time from Home Minister Amit Shah to urge him to recall the Union Territory's administrator Praful Khoda Patel, and failing that, he would be approaching the courts to put an end to Patel's plans for the Islands, Lakshadweep MP P P Mohammad Faizal said.

Faizal said that Patel's actions, in his view were driven by "corporate mindset" which he said, had also harmed the Union Territories of Daman and Diu. "His (administrator's) actions reveal more of a corporate mindset than communal, an attitude that is autocratic and dictatorial too. In Daman and Diu too we saw his autocratic and dictatorial behaviour in how traditional shelters for fishermen were destroyed and his actions as administrator there," he said. Patel was administrator of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli after the two Union Territories were merged.

"The plans put forward by the administrator are in direct contravention of the Supreme Court and the findings of the Ravindran Committee that specifically said that all development projects relating to the islands has to be discussed and take into account the view of the gram panchayats. The Lakshadweep Development Authority and the powers vested in it are just being used to push for land grabbing," he said.

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court on Friday sought the response of the Central government on a PIL challenging the Lakshadweep administration's move to introduce Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation 2021 (LDAR) and the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA) in the islands.

Considering the PIL, the court declined to stay the operation of LDAR and PASA but directed the Centre to file a response in two weeks.