CAA brought to divert Centre's failures: Pondy CM

Narayanasamy said the NDA government had also failed to implement any of the schemes announced by it and the CAA was brought to divert the attention of the people which caused widespread violence in different States.

Talking to media here, Narayanasamy alleged that the RSS and BJP volunteers from different places armed with knives and iron rods attacked the peaceful agitators for opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

The police failed to initiate any steps to control the violence and their statement that they did not receive any instructions in this regard clearly shows the violence was pre-planned and instigated by those in power at the Centre, he added.

The CM also spoke about the memorandum he submitted to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who visited Puducherry two days back, seeking to provide 25 per cent reservation for local students in all courses at Pondicherry University. Naidu, the Chancellor of the university, agreed to do the needful, he said.

Further, the CM said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari who visited Puducherry on Friday was requested to expedite different projects. The Minister was also requested to expedite the Viluppuram-Nagapattinam four lane road at a cost of Rs 926 crore since the land acquisition in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal was completed.

On the Mamallapuram-Puducherry four lane road, estimated at Rs 800 crore, Narayanasamy said that the central government had given its nod and land acquisition was completed.

He also said that on his request for an expressway from Murugambakkam to Sivaji Statue here, the Union Minister while giving approval said that wherever possible, flyovers will be constructed and roads expanded.

Further, Narayanasamy said that discussions were held with Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel as the Union government has given approval for a ferry service from Karaikal to Jaffna. The service will soon be started, the Chief Minister said.