PUDUCHERRY: Denying the corruption charges made against him and his government, former Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is talking without knowing the facts or having evidence and wondered why the BJP government at the Centre did not order an inquiry against him if he had indulged in irregularities.
Narayanasamy said that the Prime Minister during his visit to Puducherry disappointed N R Congress volunteers and N Rangasamy by not announcing the Chief Minister candidate in the alliance. It was widely expected that the PM will announce the CM candidate but it did not happen, he said.
He said the PM also failed to make any announcement on issues affecting Puducherry like statehood, waiver of the legacy loan and provision of more grants. Even though Rangasamy spoke at the function seeking more grants, the PM failed to give any reply, he added.
On the other hand, Modi levelled baseless allegations against him and also personally criticized him, though he had given clarifications on these issues earlier.
He said the NH 45 A from Puducherry to Nagapattinam via Villupuram and Karaikal was not a new scheme as claimed by the PM. It was evolved during Congress rule at the Centre, he said, adding that the Smart City project was also started by the Congress government. As the Rangasamy government did not succeed in getting it for Puducherry, the Congress government executed it, he said.
On the claim of the PM of spending Rs 2000 crore for the Smart City project, Narayanasamy said that the share of the central government is only Rs 500 crore, while another Rs 500 crore is the share of the state government, Rs 500 crore from open market borrowing and the French government is providing Rs 500 crore. In order to 'deceive' the people of Puducherry, the PM made such statements, he added.
Stating that several announcements of the Prime Minister remain unfulfilled, he asked how the schemes could be implemented here as per Modi's assurance. He said Rs 40 crore was given to fishermen by the Congress government at the Centre and not the BJP government. By bringing the Sagar Mala scheme for development of a minor port, the BJP government is giving trouble to the fishermen community. As such, the people of Puducherry will not accept the speech of the PM, he said.
He charged that the BJP is trying to capture power here with its money power and by misusing official powers. Every vote to the N R Congress, the BJP ally, will be going to the BJP, he said, adding that the party is functioning as the “B Team” of the BJP. If the NDA was allowed to come to power, the separate identity of Puducherry will be under threat. The Secular Democratic Alliance (SDA) alone could protect the people here and hence people should vote for the SDA candidates, he added.