Denial of recognition to IGMCRI poorly reflects on government, says former Puducherry Chief Minister

The government’s reputation has taken a hit due to the National Medical Commission’s denial of recognition to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy said on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Narayanasamy said the derecognition, which stalled admissions and shrouded the fate of medical students in uncertainty, reflected poorly on the state of governance under Chief Minister N. Rangasamy.

He called for measures to be undertaken on a war footing to regain recognition and clear the uncertainty among medical students.

Mr. Narayanasamy said the opening of the new Parliament complex amid a boycott by the Opposition typified the authoritarian ways of the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He recalled that even when the proposal was mooted in 2019, the Opposition parties had questioned the urgency of undertaking such a grand project on an estimated cost of ₹10,000 crore in the context of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic and had suggested that the funds be used to provide relief to the people.

On the ‘Sengol’ controversy, he said the sceptre was nothing more than a souvenir gifted by the Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam to independent India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the interjection of a new narrative about it symbolising the transfer of power from Lord Mountbatten to Nehru was another piece of fiction employed by the BJP to rewrite history, Mr. Narayanasamy said.

Even if one were to grant that the sceptre signified a change of guard, did the ceremony represent a change of government in Delhi or the anointing of a successor to Mr. Modi, he sought to know. Moreover, what was the need for a ceremony to hand over a sceptre that had once been gifted to a Prime Minister, he sought to know. This was in line with the mysterious manners of the BJP government at the Centre and the authoritarian nature of Mr. Modi, Mr. Narayanasamy alleged.

Alleging that the BJP in Puducherry thrived on falsehoods to deceive the people, Mr. Narayanasamy said the party’s claim that the Centre had given the U.T. an additional 1250 crore funds was a lie as in reality the amount included ₹700 crore was GST compensation and ₹200 crore by way of implementing the 7th Pay Commission.

Mr. Narayansamy cautioned against hasty implementation of CBSE syllabus in schools without readying trained teachers and other facilities. It was deplorable that contrary to claims, Tamil was relegated to an optional subject on the soil of its origin, he claimed.

Alleging that foul play in formulation of tender norms for the Integrated Command and Control Centre project under the Smart City scheme, had resulted in the redeployment of two senior officials in the administration on the directive of the Centre, Mr. Narayanasamy said this was yet another instance of widespread corruption in government.

According to Mr. Narayanasamy, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy’s omission of the Statehood plea in his NITI Aayog meeting exposed the hollowness of the promise he made to voters during the election campaign.