CPI flays Centre for keeping Puducherry CM out of NITI Aayog governing council

PUDUCHERRY: CPI today lambasted the BJP government for excluding the Puducherry Chief Minister while forming the NITI Aayog in place of the Planning Commission.

The party's local unit secretary R Viswanathan said the NITI Aayog had been formed with CMs of all states. As far as the Union Territories are concerned,only Lt Governors would be members of the governing council of the new panel.

He said the exclusion was an 'injustice' the Centre has done for Puducherry and urged him to adopt resolutions at the cabinet level meeting here and also in the territorial assembly to register the protest of the union territory.

If there was no response from the Centre to reconstitute the panel with representation of CM, the ruling AINRC should pull out of the BJP-led alliance and also withdraw its support to the Centre, he said.