PANJIM: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) commenced a signature campaign against casinos. It will gather signatures from people from all 40 constituencies to shut casino operations in Goa.
Addressing the media, AAP leader Dr Oscar Rebello said that the campaign will be spread across the State in the next four weeks where party volunteers will reach every door to collect signatures of people. He said the letter will later be addressed to Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar demanding the closing of casinos in Goa.
“AAP volunteers will be going door-to-door and have also set up counters at various points to obtain maximum signatures. The letter will also remind Parsekar of his party’s pre-poll promise to close casinos,” Rebello said.
“Close casinos which promote crime, corruption, prostitution, drug-addiction and black money,” the letter to the chief minister will demand, he added.
Stating that the casinos are the biggest generators of black money and yet the BJP government takes no action to shut them, Rebello alleged that Manohar Parrikar, Laxmikant Parsekar and the entire cabinet as well as the BJP are direct beneficiaries of funding from them.
“Casinos promote all sorts of criminal activities like violence, drug addiction and prostitution. We will highlight all the related issues to make all aware of the ill effects of casinos in this tourist paradise,” Rebello said.
He alleged that the BJP’s 2017 election campaign is being financed by casinos and that is why casinos are still operating in Goa. “Closing down casinos will have no significant economic impact on the State. People of Goa are aware that politicians are fooling them by showing revenue and employment figures,” AAP stated.
