Puducherry CM Narayanasamy rejects Nadda's graft charges as false

Puducherry Chief Minister VNarayanasamy on Monday challenged BJP president J P Nadda toprove his charges against the Congress government here, as heclaimed it was Lt Governor Kiran Bedi who was responsible forthe closure of textile mills and not him.

Nadda should have ascertained the facts before airingsuch charges, he said, dismissing as ''false and baseless'' theallegations by the former on Sunday that corruption wasrampant under the Congress rule in the union territory andtextile mills and industrial units were closed because of it.

''I think Nadda has been wrongly briefed on the issues hereferred to at a public meeting on Sunday,'' the Chief Ministertold a press conference here.

At least next time when he comes to the Union Territory,he should get the facts right, Narayanasamy said, adding hewould write to the BJP president asking him to prove hischarges not only on the mill issue but also on the othersraised by him at the meeting.

Launching the BJP's campaign in Puducherry, set to go forassembly elections by April-May, Nadda had made a series ofcharges against Narayanasamy and the Congress government onvarious issues, including winding up of the mills and closureof ration shops.

He has asserted that the BJP would sweep the assemblyelections here and assured people of the union territory acorruption-free and development-oriented government.

Countering the charge on closure of mills, the chiefminister said his Cabinet had decided in 2019 to concede thedemand of workers of the government-run AFT Mills to sanctiona voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) for them.

But Bedi decided that the mill be wound up and referredthe matter to the Centre, he claimed.

''When the Lieutenant Governor is responsible for theclosure of the mills, how can Nadda accuse me and mygovernment,'' the Chief Minister said.

Similarly, he said the government wanted distribution ofrice through ration shops, but Bedi wanted disbursement ofcash equivalent of the foodgrain through bank accounts underthe DBT (direct benefit transfer) mode to the beneficiaries.

Rejecting the charge that employees of cooperativeinstitutions and public sector undertakings were not paidsalaries for months, Narayanasamy alleged Bedi had orderedthat the funds earmarked for these undertakings be disbursedto settle the PF and ESIC dues.

''She did not agree with the Cabinet to pay the salaries toemployees. Again, she was responsible for the non-payment ofwages,'' he said.

Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily and in-charge ofparty affairs in the union territory in the context of comingpolls, who was also present, said the party here was unfazedby the defections to the BJP.

Moily, who on Sunday attended the executive committeemeeting of the Puducherry Congress unit, was referring toformer Minister A Namassivayam and Congress MLA ATheeppainthan from the UT joining the BJP recently.

He accused the BJP of poaching opposition leaders toestablish its regime in various states after coming to powerat the Centre in 2014.

In around 10 states, the BJP had resorted to poaching, hesaid.