Chief Minister and AINRC founder N. Rangasamy has come under criticism for his decision not to attend the Southern Zonal Council meeting held at Mamallapuram on Thursday.In a video message, former Chief Minister and Congress leader V. Narayanasamy said Mr. Rangasamy with his decision to skip an important meeting chaired by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah has done “injustice” to the people of Puducherry. The Southern Zonal Council meeting is an important forum for States and Union Territories to raise issues before the Central government. The Puducherry government was represented by Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan at Thursday’s meeting. The Lt. Governor’s address at the meeting was limited to outlining the Union Territory’s plans towards addressing the water problem, the Congress leader said.“There are many other problems faced by Puducherry and those issues could only be raised by the Chief Minister. Mr. Rangasamy often speaks on the need for Statehood, but he failed to use the platform of Southern Zonal Council meeting to raise the issue. His non-participation shows that the Chief Minister was not serious at all in getting Statehood for the region,” the former Chief Minister said. Former Member of Parliament and president of Puducherry Maanila Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam M. Ramadass in a statement said the absence of the Chief Minister merely because the Lt. Governor was participating was not acceptable in the Union Territory’s scheme of administration.The demand for Statehood has been pending for more than 50 years. The Chief Minister could have raised the issue strongly by participating in the meeting. Both the Chief Minister and the Lt. Governor could have attended and presented their respective Constitutional and administrative perspectives on issues concerning Puducherry, he said. “As the head of an elected government, the Chief Minister could have only strongly articulated the Statehood demand. The Lt. Governor cannot be expected to champion such a political demand. The Chief Minister has a responsibility to utilise every available opportunity to safeguard and advance the interests of Puducherry. The Lt. Governor and the Chief Minister should work together for the development of the Union Territory,” the former MP said. Published - August 21, 2026 09:23 pm IST