Modi, Bedi have hidden agenda of merging Pondy with TN: CM

Chief Minister of Puducherry V Narayanasamy on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modiand the territorial Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi of tryingto dismantle the separate status of Puducherry and merge itwith neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

The Chief Minister said, ''The Prime Minister and theLieutenant Governor, along with the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP), have been slowly depriving Puducherry government ofits powers and impeding several welfare and developmentalschemes proposed by the elected government.'' Addressing participants of the day-long fast to press forthe demand to recall Bedi, Narayanasasmy said there wasindeed a threat of merging Puducherry with Tamil Nadu.

If merged, Puducherry would be reduced to a status of adistrict like Villupuram or Cuddalore, he said.

Appealing tothe people to be wary of the merger which hecalled as a hidden agenda, the Chief Minister said Puducherrywould be safe only in the hands of the Secular DemocraticAlliance (SDA).