Puducherry Election 2021: Apologies or face criminal defamation suit, V Narayanasamy hits back at Amit Shah

Puducherry Assembly Election 2021: Former Chief Minister of Puducherry and Congress leader V Narayanasamy today hit back at the BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the latter’s cut money remark. V Narayanasamy said that Amit Shah yesterday claimed that PM Narendra Modi had sent Rs 15,000 crores to Puducherry and I took a cut out of it and gave part of the money to the Gandhi family. Narayanasamy termed the allegation ‘very serious’ and challenged Amit Shah to prove it.

The former CM said that either Shah should prove it or apologise to the nation. “If he doesn’t prove the allegation, he has to apologise to the nation as well as to the people of Puducherry. If he fails to prove the allegation made against me, I will file a criminal defamation suit against him for giving a false statement to damage my image and that of the Gandhi family,” said V Narayanasamy.

Amit Shah was in Puducherry yesterday where he addressed rallies organised by the BJP. Addressing the rally, Shah had claimed that V Narayansamy, who headed the Congress government in Puducherry, gave “cut money” to the “Gandhi family” from Rs 15,000 crore from funds given to the UT by the Centre.

Shah claimed that the previous Congress government indulged in petty politics over Central schemes. The Puducherry government had collapsed late last month after several sitting MLAs resigned from the Congress party and Narayanasamy failed to prove the majority on the floor of the house. President’s Rule was imposed in the UT after the opposition NDA did not stake claim to form a government.

In another shocker for the Congress, Puducherry Assembly Speaker V P Sivakolundhu resigned yesterday citing health reasons. Recently, his brother had joined the BJP.

The voting for the 30-member assembly of the Union Territory will be held on April 6 and counting of the votes will take place on May 2.