PUDUCHERRY: Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made Puducherry powerless, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge said that statehood was the party’s first guarantee, and it will be granted if a Congress government comes to power at the centre, as was promised in the party’s 2019 and 2014 election manifestos. Although PM Modi claims he has zero tolerance for corruption, Kharge alleged that key infrastructure and economic assets – from airports to ports – were being handed over to private players “through questionable deals.” Temple lands and public properties worth crores in Puducherry are being grabbed or misused, he alleged. The NR Congress–BJP alliance is an “opportunistic alliance that thrives in corruption and loot.” By misusing public funds and assets, the regime is marked by “30% corruption and commission,” Kharge said.
Kharge then highlighted that key welfare schemes, healthcare institutions, and infrastructure projects in Puducherry were established under the previous Congress rule. He cited institutions such as JIPMER, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Rajiv Gandhi Women and Children’s Hospital, as examples of enduring public service infrastructure. He then accused the BJP of “rebranding” existing Congress-era schemes and questioned the Centre’s commitment to Puducherry, and Modi’s silence over statehood during the recent road show.
Unveiling the party’s promises, Kharge announced a free gold thali for marrying women, a monthly free grocery worth Rs 2,500 for each family, free education from primary level to research graduates, and a monthly stipend of Rs 2,000 for all students.