Other States - Puducherry

“Withdraw remarks against Opposition”

PUDUCHERRY: Founder president of the Puducherry Munnetra Congress P.Kannan on Monday said that his party, along with friendly parties and forces, would launch a mass movement to protest against Union Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs V.Narayanasamy’s remarks against the opposition parties.

He told reporters here that Mr.Narayanasamy’s call to treat the opposition parties as enemy parties was “unconstitutional and anti-democratic, besides running counter to the oath of office administered to him.”

Mr.Kannan also flayed Chief Minister V.Vaithilingam and some of his Cabinet colleagues for making similar remarks against the opposition parties. By doing so, the Union Minister, the Chief Minster and the Ministers had lost their moral authority to continue in office.

Seeking an apology from Mr.Narayanasamy for his remarks against the opposition parties, Mr.Kannan said if he failed to do so, the PMC would mobilise public opinion on the issue, besides launching a mass movement in association with the friendly parties.

He also asked the Union Minister to explain if his advice to the territorial government to treat the opposition parties as enemy parties would apply to the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.

Referring to the territorial government’s decision to go ahead with the multi-crore port development project, Mr.Kannan said the PMC would oppose it at the initial stage itself on the ground that the culture and tradition of the tiny heritage town would be ruined if it was implemented.

The project, which lacked employment potential, would pose grave threat to the environment and the eco-system in the coastal areas, he said, adding the government should make it clear if it had sought the expert opinion in this regard.

Mr.Kannan urged the government to withdraw the disciplinary proceedings instituted against leader of the Confederation of Pondicherry State Government Employees’ Associations C.H.Balamohanan for filing public interest litigation with regard to the development of the Puducherry port. If the government did not take a decision by Tuesday, the PMK, along with friendly parties, would launch an agitation of an unprecedented scale to expose the “vindictive and anti-employee attitude” of the government, he said.

He urged the government to come out with a White Paper on the financial situation in the Union Territory. The administration should be transparent on the financial front, he said.

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