Hyderabad:

Puducherry’s lone woman legislator, S Chandira Priyanga, resigned as a minister from the AINRC-BJP government alleging gender and caste-based discrimination.

Explaining her decision, the 34-year-old said that the ‘male-dominated’ political world does not let women flourish.

“Women are treated only as women. You may be educated, even come from a privileged background but the male-dominated political world conspires to treat you in such a manner as to break you. You do not get respect even if you are capable and doing your job well,” Ms Priyanga told NDTV.

In 2021, the Neduncadu MLA became the first woman to be made a minister in the union territory after a gap of over 40 years. Ms Priyanga was then handed the Transport portfolio in the N Ranagsamy-led coalition cabinet.

Ms Priyanga said that she had always been proud of her Dalit woman identity but didn’t think it would be used against her. “After resigning, I feel free now, to work for the people who reposed confidence in me and do what I set out to do,” the leader said when asked why she didn’t stay back and fight.

“Why should it matter whether you are a man or woman, where you came from? What should matter is whether you can deliver and work for people but that doesn’t happen. I couldn’t take the harassment rooted in patriarchy,” she said.

In her resignation letter, Ms Priyanga requested Chief Minister N Rangasamy to appoint a person from a Dalit, Vanniyar, or some other marginalised community as her replacement in the ministry.

She said in her letter that although she entered the Assembly due to her popularity among the people in her constituency, she, however, realised it was not so easy to overcome “politics of conspiracy and I could not fight against the big ghost of money power”.

“I was also targeted continuously and found that I could not bear the politics of conspiracy and the big ghost of money power any longer beyond certain limits,” she wrote.

Puducherry:

Puducherry’s lone woman legislator and minister, S Chandira Priyanga, on Tuesday tendered her resignation from the AINRC-BJP coalition cabinet, alleging politics of conspiracy and money power, besides facing casteism and gender bias. Chief Minister N Rangasamy, however, declined to comment on Ms Priyanga’s decision to resign.

When a team of reporters approached him in his chamber today, the CM said, “I have not invited you,” and refused to respond to their queries.

In 2021, the Neduncadu MLA became the first woman to be made a minister in the union territory after a gap of over 40 years. Ms Priyanga was then handed the Transport portfolio in the N Ranagsamy-led coalition cabinet.

She was elected from the Neduncadu reserved constituency in Karaikal on an AINRC ticket for a successive term in the 2021 Assembly polls.

Chandira Priyanga quit as Minister and submitted her letter of resignation through her Secretary at the office of the Chief Minister.

Sources in the CMO confirmed receipt of the letter and said it has been forwarded to the Chief Minister for him to take a decision on the matter.

A copy of her resignation letter was distributed to the media.

She said in her letter that although she entered the Assembly due to her popularity among the people in her constituency, she however realised it was not so easy to overcome “politics of conspiracy and I could not fight against the big ghost of money power”.

She realised she “was subjected to casteism and gender bias.” “I was also targeted continuously and found that I could not bear the politics of conspiracy and the big ghost of money power any longer beyond certain limits”.

Chandira Priyanga said she would come out soon with a detailed report “to highlight what changes, improvement and reforms I had made in the departments I was looking after as Minister”.

Among others, she handled Housing and Labour and Employment portfolios.

She said she was indebted to the people of her constituency.

“I realise that I cannot continue to fight the dominant forces and hence I quit the post of minister. I tender my apology to the people in my segment. But I assure I would continue to serve the constituency as its legislator,” Chandira Priyanga added.

Thanking the CM for having accommodated her as a Minister earlier, she also requested Ranagsamy to fill in the vacancy arising out of her resignation by including any of the legislators belonging to the Vanniyar, Dalit, or minority communities.

Further, none keen to become minister on the basis of money power, or influence should be made her successor as that would cause ‘injustice’ to the Vanniyar or Dalit communities.

She also requested the CM to ensure all welfare measures of the government are implemented without any hiccups in her constituency.

A Raj Nivas source told PTI that a copy of the Minister’s resignation letter was also received at the office of Lt Governor.

Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan is in Telangana, sources said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)