Team Herald
PANJIM: Goencho Avaaz has given a clarion call to the people in the State to unite against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and defeat their candidates in the by-polls as well as the Lok Sabha elections.
Co-convenor of Goencho Avaaz, Captain Viriato Fernandes, addressing the media on the first anniversary of its formation, said, “Goencho Avaaz was formed against the destructive politics of the BJP, Goa Forward Party and the MGP. We are requesting both the Congress and AAP not to divide the votes and come together to defeat the BJP.”
Putting forth a list of issues on which the BJP-led governments at the Centre and the State had backtracked, Viriato said that the incumbent governments only helped the real estate lobbies and led to the destruction of Goa.
Refuting that the NGO, few months back, had expressed intentions to contest the elections, Viriato said “We had not expressed any intention of contesting elections. When media representatives questioned us regarding our role in the Lok Sabha elections, we had said we will not sit silent and play a decisive role and that was interpreted as contesting elections. We are playing a decisive role as we have a very good presence across the villages in the State and we will tell people who to vote.”
Reiterating their demand that political parties should unite and form a pre-poll alliance, the NGO’s co-convenor said, “If AAP and Congress can come together in Delhi, I’m sure they can work out a solution over here as well. Goencho Avaaz if needed will mediate openly to bring them together.”
Responding to a question regarding which party will the NGO support, he stated “We will have to take a call as we will see the strength and weaknesses and we will then tell the people to vote the candidate who can defeat the BJP.”
Taking a dig at the Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik, Viriato said “If despite being a minister, he could not get an appointment of the Prime Minister, then what is the point of electing and sending him again to the Parliament. When Narendra Sawaikar remains silent in the Parliament, then why do we send him to the Parliament again?”
