Put up a united fight for Puducherry’s Statehood, says CPI general secretary

PUDUCHERRY

Urging people to put up a united fight for Puducherry’s Statehood, CPI general secretary D. Raja on Sunday said the region’s continuance as a Union Territory was not good in the larger interest of democratic principles and federal concepts followed by the country.

“Puducherry’s Statehood has become all the more a necessity to strengthen Indian democracy and federal concepts. People should put up a united fight so that the government in Delhi [Union government] wakes up to the plea of the people,” he said, addressing a seminar on Puducherry’s Statehood and need to abolish the posts of Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

The seminar was held as part of the four-day national council meeting of CPI, under way in Puducherry.

Stressing that the country was passing through a crucial juncture, where a State with an Assembly was split and re-oriented as Union Territory [abrogation of provisions of article 370], the CPI leader said a similar situation could unfold anywhere in the country considering the way in which the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi functions.

Flaying the conduct of Governors and Lieutenant Governors in non-BJP ruled States, he said the Centre was trying to disrupt the functioning of democratically elected governments by making political appointments in Raj Bhavan and Raj Nivas.

Flaying Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi for his remarks on Marxism, Mr. Raja said it was unbecoming of a Governor to make political statements. “As an individual, he can make such remarks but as a Governor he shouldn’t be making such statements.”

The seminar also passed a declaration demanding Statehood for Puducherry. “The seminar on Statehood declares to take forward to people a movement to win over the demand, to preserve the unique identity and safeguard the rights of this soil, bringing together and building a broad platform of political parties and social organisations,” the declaration said.