AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on Thursday promised to secure statehood for Puducherry and ensure development of the UT if an alliance government with AIADMK comes to power at the Centre.
Addressing an election rally in support of AIADMK candidate M V Omolingam at Uppalam grounds here on Thursday, she said, AIADMK was the only party to have made attempts to secure statehood for the UT in 1998 when the BJP government was in power. AIADMK had taken up the statehood issue in Parliament and also got an approval for it. However the Congress government, which came to power thereafter, stalled it, Jayalalithaa said.
Promising development of the Union Territory, waiving of `5,000 crore loans due to the government, inclusion of Puducherry in the Finance Commission, setting up of an IIT, IIM, expansion of the airport, revival and modernisation of textile mills, addressing Karaikal fishermen’s problems, she said, in order to achieve this, the people should provide an opportunity to AIADMK by voting in its favour.
Accusing the Congress-led government at the Centre along with the DMK of having devastated the country’s economy due to wrong and the anti-people polices, as well as rampant corruption, she exhorted the people to give a “death blow” to the Congress, DMK and AINRC in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Coming down heavily on Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy, she said the UT has got an “inefficient and non-functioning” Chief Minister.
Stating that AINRC not only “cheated” AIADMK in the 2011 Assembly elections but also the people, Jayalalithaa explained that she had exhorted the people to vote for AINRC, which fought that election in alliance with the AIADMK. After people voted it to power, Rangasamy formed his own government with the support of an independent, thereby cheating the AIADMK as well as the people who voted it to power. If Puducherry had a government with the participation of AIADMK, the people could have availed several schemes being enjoyed by the people of Tamil Nadu presently, she said.
She faulted the AINRC government of not having raised its voice when fishermen from Karaikal were taken into custody by Sri Lanka.
Training her gun on Union Minister of State for PMO V Narayanasamy, she charged him with not having done anything for the people of the UT.