Puducherry CM N Rangasamy offers to resign over statehood demand

Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Friday (August 28) renewed his demand for statehood, saying he was prepared to resign over the issue. He said that he had already told the Centre that the Union Territory could not continue to "remain without powers". Rangasamy made the statement in the Assembly during a debate on Puducherry's long-standing demand for statehood.

Leader of the Opposition A M H Nazeem called for a united protest "against the delay in the Centre giving its nod for statehood to Puducherry." AINRC legislator A John Kumar, who was taking part in the discussion, called for Puducherry to receive special category status.

Nazeem, a DMK legislator, said, "We should all show our protest to press the statehood demand." Rangasamy responded by saying, "I am ready to quit to reinforce our demand for statehood. We would all go to Delhi to place before the Centre our plea for Statehood."

CM cites lack of powers

He said the absence of powers had created difficulties for the government and the territorial Assembly while Puducherry continued as a Union Territory.

"I am aware of the difficulties the government is now facing for want of powers to the government and to the territorial Assembly while Puducherry remained a UT. I have made the plea for statehood on several occasions and particularly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Puducherry in the recent past," added Rangasamy.

'Told PM Modi'

Rangasamy, who leads the ruling AINRC-BJP-AIADMK-LJK bloc, said that he had raised the issue directly with the Prime Minister. "I have specifically told the Prime Minister that it is a matter of concern for us that we continue to remain without powers", he said.

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Elaborating further, the Chief Minister said Puducherry needed statehood to speed up its development and allow several government schemes to be carried out without delay. "Statehood is absolutely necessary", he added.

Assembly members back demand

Following Rangasamy's remarks, almost all the members, both ruling and opposition, also announced that they too would quit their posts to press for the statehood demand. The pro tem Speaker A Anbalagan said that the Assembly had adopted resolutions on several occasions in the past to persuade the Centre to grant statehood to Puducherry.

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Anbalagan also said that special category status would never be possible for Puducherry as there were several conditions that could not be satisfied by the UT to qualify for such a status. Hence, statehood alone should be pressed.

(With agency inputs)