Differences within the ruling National Democratic Alliance government in Puducherry echoed in the Assembly on Monday with BJP legislator P.M.L Kalyanasundaram questioning Chief Minister and AINRC founder N. Rangasamy for his decision to divest a BJP Minister in the cabinet of the Civil Supplies portfolio during the recent reallocation of subjects.
Mr. Rangasamy used the occasion of assigning portfolios to the recently inducted Minister P.R.N. Thirumurugan (AINRC), to make certain changes in the subjects already handled by the BJP legislator in the cabinet, A. K. Sai J. Saravanan Kumar. Mr. Saravanan Kumar was stripped of the Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs portfolio which was then assigned to Mr. Thirumurugan.
Participating in the discussion on the motion of thanks to the Lieutenant Governor’s address in the Assembly, Mr. Kalyanasundaram said Mr. Saravanan Kumar belonged to the SC community. “The BJP has nothing to do with the removal of an important portfolio from a member of the SC community. People should not think that it was the decision of the BJP. The Chief Minister took the portfolio from BJP member and gave the subject to his party MLA,” he said.
Objecting to his remarks, AINRC member K.S.P Ramesh said, “Portfolio allocation is the discretion of the Chief Minister. We (AINRC members) are silent because of the coalition dharma followed by the Chief Minister.”
However, Mr Kalyanasundaram continued with his criticism of the Chief Minister, pointing out that he had previously removed another member (Chandira Priyanga) belonging to the SC community from the cabinet.
“Some political parties are spreading false information that BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are against Dalits and minorities. We are not against any community. The BJP has nothing to do with the decisions taken by the Chief Minister,” he added.
He further said that the subject was hitherto without any work because of the closure of ration shops. “Now when the government decided to distribute free rice in kind and other food materials, the portfolio was taken away from the BJP member. The Chief Minister should reconsider the decision,” he later told reporters.
