DMK fumes over MoS Napolean's humiliation in Andaman

Port Blair, Nov 8 : DMK's Andaman unit today alleged that Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment D Napolean was humiliated by some uniformed men of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) at the historic Ross Island.

According to DMK, the Minister had gone to the island yesterday, when he was allegedly denied entry.

''The PA of the Mr Napolean approached the defence authorities at the Ross Island and re-introduced the minister but even then the ANC staffs of Ross Island refused to give entry,'' State Organiser of DMK in Andaman and Nicobar Islands A R Marudhvanan told Media today.

The Indian Naval personnel had further said they won’t allow the minister inside Ross Island until and unless he pays the entry fees, Mr Marudhvanan informed.

However, highly placed sources told UNI that the humiliated and insulted, Minister later called up the Defence Minister A K Anthony and informed him about the misbehaviour of the defence personnel.

The matter was also conveyed to the Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the Minister, DMK sources said.

The Andaman unit of DMK has decided to take up this matter with the headquarters in Chennai, sources stated.

Meanwhile, the Andaman Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee has also condemned the act of the Defence personnel of the ANC.

''A minister must be given due respect all over the country. The ANC must apologise for humiliating a Union Minister of State,'' K Ganeshan the Chief Spokesperson of the Andaman Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee told UNI.

A few weeks back hundreds of tourists loaded in two small tourists boats were denied entry inside the Historic Ross Island by the Defence personnel for no reasons.

The Ross Island was once called ''Paris of East'' as it was the headquarters of the Indian Penal Settlement during British era, for nearly 80 years.

It had everything-bazaar, bakery, stores, water treatment plant, church, tennis court, printing press, secretariat, hospital, cemetery before the island was rocked by a mega quake in 1941.

The Island, which is under defence forces now, is also a major tourist destination in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
Unauthorised publication of any content from NewKerala.Com is prohibited