MARGAO: At a meeting that kicked off on schedule at 4 pm and had Goans from Siolim, Assnora, Calangute, Candolim, Canacona, Poinguinim, Quepem, Nuvem, Colva, Varca, Chimbel, Velim, Assolna, Chinchinim and every corner of Goa, Salcete’s Congress MLAs were late to arrive and came to the meeting only at 5.30pm.

The group of MLAs wriggled through the massive crowd and finally reached the main area in front of the stage led by Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, Congress Party President Girish Chodankar, Congress Mahila Block Chief Pratima Coutinho, Wilfred D'Sa MLA from Nuvem, Isidore Fernandes MLA from Canacona, Filipe Neri Rodrigues MLA from Velim, Clafasio Dias MLA from Cuncolim, Santa Cruz MLA Tony Fernandes, Congress leader Savitri Kavlekar from Sanguem and Santa Cruz Sarpanch Mariano Araujo to make an appearance at the Goencho Avaaz organised apolitical public meeting at Lohia Maidan, Margao.

Organisers Goencho Avaaz, led by the compere Felly Gomes from Assagao, cleared that this meeting is not a stage for politicians.

But the real embarrassment came when the organisers led by student leader Manoj Parab and IITician and environmental activist Abhijit Prabhudesai made a presentation to the thousands of people gathered there. The presentation stated that it showed the existing Google satellite images of land owned by Congress MLAs and former MLAs Digambar Kamat, Wilfred D’Sa, Jeetendra Deshprabhu, Luizinho Faleiro, Pratapsingh Rane, Vishwajit Rane, Pandurang Madkaikar, Vijai Sardesai, Kennedy Alemao, Francis Silveira and also BJP leaders Alina and late Matanhy Saldanha, Nilesh Cabral and MGP’s Deepak Dhavalikar. 

 The presentation also showed the Forms I & XIV reflecting names of the above politicians or companies in which, the activists making the presentations stated that they (politicians) were directors and how most of this land is sold.

“I am surprised by these allegations and I will call a Congress meeting after this appears in the media and will have to ask an explanation from our MLAs and other Congress leaders but it’s too early to say anything,” explained the party president Girish Chodankar who stated that they came for the meeting only because they want to show that they’re with the people in a cause like this against PDAs and the religion plan.