Puducherry L-G questions Congress, DMK's credibility in demand for statehood
PUDUCHERRY: Accusing the Congress party's lack of action in securing statehood for Puducherry while it was in power, Lieutenant Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan questioned the party's credibility in demanding the same now. She was speaking to reporters at the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and Post Graduate Institute, on Friday.
"How long were you in power at the Centre and what did you do to get statehood for Puducherry?" she posed the question to former Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and accused him of neglecting the issue. She also pointed out that even the DMK — Congress alliance had failed to secure statehood. A day after the unit Congress leadership accused Tamilisai of being a pawn of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she revealed that the Congress-led administration had not forwarded an English version of the Assembly resolution seeking statehood to the Centre, despite the Centre's request and had stalled it.
Responding to the delay in forwarding the resolution adopted by the current government, in March, to the Centre, Tamilisai clarified that her office had received a copy, on July 22. It was forwarded to the Centre the next day, she said.
Tamilisai also said the previous Lt Governor, Kiran Bedi, had rejected an earlier proposal to grant 10% reservation for NEET-qualified government school students in medical admissions. The current administration, on the other hand, is taking steps to overcome the negative remarks by the previous L-G.
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Criticising the Congress and DMK for allegedly spreading false information about NEET, she emphasised that the medical fraternity had welcomed the test for medical admissions and cited that world over there is a common entrance test for medical studies. Tamilisai called on both parties to refrain from confusing students. She also pointed out that the wife of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram had defended NEET in court, thereby noting the dubious stand of Congress.