Team Herald
PANJIM: Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sate and Central government of being a double engine to destroy heritage, Lok Sabha MP and All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC) Goa in-charge Mahua Moitra met the protestors, who are on a ‘satyagraha’ in Old Goa to oppose a construction project that has come up in a protected area.
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She interacted with the social activists and civil society members on Friday and further pointed out that it is not easy for anyone to go on an indefinite hunger strike. She has also promised to raise the matter in the Parliament which is set to resume on November 29.
Praising Goa TMC leader Ana Gracias who is part of the on-ground protest, Moitra said, “I am here to extend all support to our team which is battling it out in the heat, fighting for the rights of Goans. This is absolutely shameful. We will raise this matter in the Parliament next week.”
“More importantly, Gracias and the others are drawing the attention of everyone to this problem and all of Goa can see what is happening but somehow the BJP can’t see it,” said Moitra.
She also expressed shock that over the irregularities involved in the project and surprise that a 51 sqm fisherman’s hut within the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) protected area in Old Goa was first shown as a 397 square structure by the authorities and has now been converted into an 800 sqm luxury villa.
She accused Bombay developers and BJP politicians for being involved in such manipulations in the UNESCO heritage site.
“The complete structure has to be demolished. Building new temples in Uttar Pradesh is not going to help if you (BJP) are going to destroy the heritage all over the country. The government should be preserving our heritage. Instead the BJP government at the State and the Centre are a double engine to trample upon everyone and are not a double engine ‘sarkar’ for growth,” said Moitra.
