Cong. cautions people against voting for NDA’s candidates

‘Giving more powers to Delhi L-G is only a precursor to what’s going to happen in U.T.’

Cautioning the people against voting in favour of the National Democratic Alliance in the April 6 Assembly poll, former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy on Thursday said the legislation passed by Parliament on Wednesday, giving more powers to the Delhi Lt. Governor, is only a precursor to what is going to happen in Puducherry after the election.

“The Delhi Union Territory’s Act was amended to give more powers to the Lt. Governor there. Now, all the decisions taken by the Delhi government have to get the approval of the Lt. Governor, making the elected representatives powerless. The legislators in Delhi, hereafter, will be at the mercy of the Lt. Governor and the same situation will unfold in Puducherry after the Assembly poll,” he said addressing a press conference with Member of Parliament V. Vaithilingam at the PCC office.

Pointing out the contradictions within the NDA in the Union Territory, he said the principal Opposition party, All India N R Congress, and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam have been fighting to obtain Statehood for the Union Territory. But the BJP-ruled Centre had declared its intention not to accord Statehood.

The former Chief Minister asked the AINRC and the AIADMK to explain their position on the Centre’s move to give more powers to the Lt. Governor in New Delhi. The Centre would grab the power of the elected government and give it to the Lt. Governor of the Union Territory, he said. “If the BJP comes to power, the separate identity of Puducherry will be lost,” he warned.

Mr. Vaithilingam said the decision of the Centre to give more powers to the Lt. Governor would invariably bring to question the necessity of holding election itself.

“Some leaders in the NDA are fighting for the CM’s post in Puducherry when they are going to be powerless. If you are not going to have any say in policy-making or decision-making, what is the use of winning the election? It will be a disrespect to the people who voted for the legislators if someone sitting above the elected representatives is going to take unilateral decisions,” the senior Congress leader said.

Referring to a PIL filed by a student seeking implementation of 10% reservation (the previous Congress government had taken a Cabinet decision) for government school students who have cleared NEET in medical admissions, Mr. Narayanasamy said the Union Government had stated in the court that the territorial administration had no power to take such a decision.

The AINRC and the AIADMK should respond to the Union Government’s stand in court, he said adding it was a mockery of democracy that neighbouring Tamil Nadu could provide reservation for government school students in medical admissions while the Union Territory could not, he said.