Puducherry: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy has said Puducherry will remain a Union Territory.
He dismissed the rumours about a merger with the neighbouring State (Tamilnadu) as a ‘campaign of lies’ spread by the Congress.
Speaking at a meeting of BJP workers in the Union Territory, Reddy said Chief Minister V Narayanasamy was at the forefront of this false campaign that said the Centre was trying to merge Puducherry with Tamilnadu.
He exhorted the people to teach Narayanasamy “a fitting lesson in the next Assembly election for propagating lies”.
He added: “On behalf of the BJP government at the Centre and as the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, I assure you that there is no such plan. Puducherry will retain its identity as a Union Territory.”
“The Chief Minister has been making baseless statements that the Centre was keen on merger of Puducherry with neighbouring states. This is wrong. Puducherry will remain a Union Territory,” he said, listing the steps taken by the NDA government under leadership of Modi to promote the welfare of the people.