PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry unit BJP president V Saminathan has asked the Congress to refrain from demanding statehood after it failed to secure the same during its 50 years at the centre and in the Union territory.
In a statement issued on Friday, Saminathan ridiculed former Chief Minister V Narayanasamy for his statement that if Congress comes to power in the Centre in 2024, they will give statehood to Puducherry in three months. "What was the Congress government doing at the centre and in the UT for 50 years ?" Saminathan said and ridiculed Narayanasamy for sounding as though he had awakened from a long slumber. Narayanasamy has no ground to talk about statehood when the 11 resolutions adopted during Congress rule were not considered, added Saminathan.
He also charged Narayanasamy (who was also the MP) and the Congress government for betraying the people of Puducherry by forcing the government to open a separate public account for the UT in the Reserve Bank of India, which incurred a debt of Rs 8,000 crore for Puducherry.
The BJP leader said though Narayanasamy dreams of Congress forming the government in 2024, people will not ignore the dynastic and vote bank politics of Congress. Saminathan claimed that the BJP-led coalition will win the upcoming elections, and cited an opinion poll by a media house that predicted BJP's victory in up to 326 constituencies.