PUDUCHERRY: Former Minister A Namassivayam, who shifted allegiance to the BJP recently, has alleged that Chief Minister V Narayanasamy was hoodwinking people on the issue of statehood for Puducherry.
Addressing a meeting of the BJP here on Tuesday night, Namassivayam said, "it is indeed amusing that without taking any step to procure statehood for Puducherry while being a union minister in the previous UPA government, Narayanasamy is now projecting himself as a champion of the cause."
"What have you done when you were MP in Rajya Sabha for nearly 20 years and as member from Puducherry in Lok Sabha for five years to persuade the Centre for statehood for Puducherry?" Namassivayam asked.
Narayanasamy was fully aware that special category status would not be possible and by making this demand he had only spoiled the efforts of the then Chief Minister N Rangasamy (AINRC) for statehood for Puducherry, Namassivayam alleged and said the BJP was in support of statehood for Puducherry.
Namassivayam accused the CM of 'failing' the people without taking steps to implement various schemes using the statutorily recognised powers and blaming Lt Governor Kiran Bedi as being responsible for the initiatives not seeing the light of the day.
The former PWD minister asserted that the forthcoming elections to the territorial Assembly would witness the romping home by the BJP.
"Once the lotus blossoms here all the central schemes for welfare of the downtrodden, farmers, students, women empowerment and youth would be implemented in Puducherry," he added.
Namassivayam also charged the Narayanasamy government with not utilising the central funds for housing scheme, welfare of the downtrodden and backward classes.
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