PUDUCHERRY: Former chief minister and Congress leader V Narayanasamy on Thursday accused Chief Minister N Rangasamy of betraying the people of Puducherry by failing to attend the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday.
In a video statement, Narayanasamy said the CM had missed a crucial opportunity to present Puducherry's long-pending demands before the centre, including statehood, inclusion in the Finance Commission, waiver of central government loans and allocation of special financial assistance.
He pointed out that CMs from across the country attended the meeting and put forward proposals relating to development projects, funding requirements and welfare schemes for their respective states. He said Rangasamy had repeatedly claimed that statehood would be secured for the union territory but failed to use the opportunity to pursue the issue directly with the prime minister.
Questioning the reason for the CM's absence, Narayanasamy suggested that political differences between the ruling NR Congress and the BJP might have influenced the decision. He said it was unclear whether Rangasamy had chosen to boycott the meeting due to political considerations or personal reasons.
"If the CM had participated in the meeting and raised Puducherry's concerns, the PM would have had to respond. Rangasamy has missed a valuable opportunity," he said.
Narayanasamy further argued that the NITI Aayog meeting was not merely a ceremonial gathering but an important forum where states and union territories could seek solutions to their pressing issues.
Demanding that Rangasamy publicly apologise to the people of Puducherry, Narayanasamy alleged that the NRC-BJP government had consistently failed to safeguard the union territory's interests and described the CM's absence from the meeting as condemnable.