AIADMK has charged Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy with ‘fomenting’ communal sentiments by calling for a day-long bandh here on December 27 on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) issue.
Addressing reporters here on Tuesday, AIADMK Legislature wing leader A. Anbalagan said people were living cordially without giving room to any communal differences. But the Chief Minister had announced that the bandh would be observed on December 27 to condemn the CAA.
Mr. Anbalagan said already the Centre had clarified that no section of people in the country would be hit by the CAA. But Mr. Narayanasamy was trying to get political mileage by raising a non-issue. He said the Chief Minister had not evolved any step to rid the sufferings of Scheduled Castes, who settled down in Puducherry 50 years ago, in terms of getting caste certificates and extending benefits of various welfare schemes meant for them.
SC caste certificates
During the tenure of the then Lt. Governor Chhedi Lal, those belonging to the SC community in Tamil Nadu were given opportunities to get jobs here. But the descendants of these people were now not able to get caste certificates.
The Congress government had not done anything to meet the requirements of the SCs from other States. Similarly, Muslims from other States who had settled down in Puducherry were finding it difficult to get Backward Class Muslim certificates after 2001. These issues call for the attention of the government.
Mr. Anbalagan said the Supreme court already stated that no bandh should be called by a government. Hence, the one slated for December 27 at the instance of the Chief Minister here is ‘illegal and unjustified’. He wanted the Lt. Governor to send a letter immediately to the Centre seeking its intervention and dismiss the Congress Ministry in Puducherry as the government itself is calling for a bandh.
