No efforts will be spared to protect identity of Pondy: CM

Puducherry, Jan 25 (PTI): Chief Minister of Puducherry VNarayanasamy, in his Republic Day eve message, said noefforts would be spared to protect the identity of Puducherryin the face of the alleged threat of merger.

''Of late, there have been challenges (to the identity ofPuducherr''y). We will erupt like a volcano (to protect itsseparate identity) he said.

He said one should recall how the whole of Puducherryrose against the move by the then Central government in 1979to dismantle the identity.

''I will be the first man to resist if any such attempt ismade,'' he said.

Narayanasamy, who has been at loggerheads with theterritorial Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi, also made aveiled reference to the alleged intervention of her inroutine administration and said the wishes and decisions ofpeople's representatives should be honoured.

Any move by anyone to ignore people's representativeswould only be injustice to the spirit with which thefreedom-fighters struggled for liberation of Puducherry fromforeign regime, he said.