Senior Congress leader and AICC observer Veerappa Moily has called upon the rank and file of the party to remain vigilant and ensure that the BJP did not grow in Puducherry as it could destroy the very identity of the Union Territory.
Addressing a Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) meeting here on Sunday, he said that the present government in Puducherry had been confronting two pandemics – one is COVID-19 and another is Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi. “We should all stand solidly behind Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy to face these two, because the intention of the BJP is to destroy the separate identity of Puducherry.”
“The former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted development of Puducherry as a separate State according to wishes of people. But now the intention of the BJP is to destroy the separate identity of Puducherry and the autonomy of Puducherry would be lost if BJP is encouraged in the UT in the forthcoming elections,” he said.
The BJP will withdraw all the powers and hence every vote in this election should be against the BJP, he said. Mr. Moily called upon the rank and file to protect democracy and federalism because the development of Puducherry could be assured only during the Congress rule as in the past.
The development of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) and the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Karaikal were all possible because of the care and attention the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) gave to Puducherry, he said.
A Congress government, which would be elected again, would file a damage suit against Ms. Bedi for her attitude and disruption of all the welfare schemes. The Lt. Governor had proved her negative agenda by obstructing the development of the UT in all the sectors, he charged.
