PUDUCHERRY: Former Chief Minister of Puducherry V Narayanasamy has challenged the BJP candidate A Namassivayam to resign from his position as Puducherry Home Minister and contest the upcoming elections if he is confident of winning by a significant margin.
Responding to Namassivayam's assertion that Congress candidate V Vaithilingam would lose his deposit due to his expected victory margin, Narayanasamy highlighted the incumbent's alleged inefficiency in handling crucial portfolios such as police, education, industries, and power.
Narayanasamy emphasized that the people of Puducherry should evaluate Namassivayam's performance before casting their votes.
At a press conference, Narayanasamy criticized Namassivayam for the declining quality of education in Puducherry, citing concerns over the implementation of the new education policy and CBSE curriculum, which could adversely affect Tamil language learning among students. Narayanasamy also accused the home minister of failing to address the rampant drug menace in the region, attributing several heinous crimes to the availability of drugs.
Furthermore, Narayanasamy lambasted Namassivayam for his alleged failure to attract industries to Puducherry despite the BJP being in power both at the central and state levels.
Narayanasamy also accused Namassivayam of supporting the Centre's proposal to privatize the distribution of electricity in Puducherry. He claimed that Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy initially resisted privatization, but eventually relented under pressure, a move Narayanasamy deemed detrimental to consumers and power sector employees.
Furthermore, Narayanasamy criticized the government's handling of essential services, particularly the prolonged closure of ration shops in rural areas, which caused hardship to residents. He highlighted the availability of essential commodities in neighbouring Tamil Nadu contrasted with the persistent closure of shops in Puducherry.
In a bid to underscore Namassivayam's alleged inconsistency, Narayanasamy played audio-visual clips of Namassivayam criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies while he was in Congress, juxtaposed with recent statements of appreciation towards Modi.