PUDUCHERRY: Slamming the Puducherry government for not pushing for the statehood resolution with the Centre, former Chief Minister V Narayanasamy accused the AINRC-BJP government of hoodwinking people, on Saturday.
Briefing newsmen at a press conference, Narayanasamy said that there is no intention of the government to secure statehood, as the resolution adopted unanimously in the assembly has not been sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs as revealed by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai's reply in the Parliament. The resolution was sent to the Lt Governor to be forwarded to the MHA, but it is languishing in Puducherry, he said. Though CM N Rangasamy came to power on the promise of securing statehood, no sustained initiative has been taken to secure it. The Lt Governor, CM, and ministers are enacting a drama on statehood and should reply to the people.
He noted that a new file to reserve 10% of medical seats for government school students will lead to legal problems as there would be two files to consider from the Puducherry government on the same subject. Hence, the file sent by Rangasamy's government should be pursued with the MHA and get it approved so that it comes into effect from the current academic year. Narayanasamy also criticised the New Education Policy (NEP) and said that it is not in the interest of students as it undermines education in Tamil. A state education policy, according to him, should be brought into the UT. He further claimed that the NEP was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to impose Hindi and that it would be advantageous to north Indian states.
The former CM also addressed the ongoing Goubert Market issue and said that the market should be reconstructed in phases, without affecting the traders' businesses. Claiming that it would take at least three years to complete, Narayanasamy said that the traders should be allotted alternate sheds in the Old Jail complex.