Team Herald
PANJIM: The apparent “disunity” within the Congress camp came to the fore on Saturday, as all three MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, were conspicuous by their absence at the party’s protest against the cash-for-jobs scam in the city, which saw South Goa MP Capt Viriato Fernandes, party president Amit Patkar, and 21 others being detained by the police.
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Indian Youth Congress (IYC) in-charge Richi Bhargava, NSUI chief Naushad Chaudhari, Orville Dourado were among the detained.
They were trying to march to the Chief Minister’s residence at Altinho.
The absence of MLAs Yuri Alemao, Altone D’Costa and Carlos Alvares Ferreira has raised eyebrows over the party’s stance when it comes to fighting or remaining united on issues affecting Goa and Goans.
After assembling at Azad Maidan, the protesters decided to march to the Chief Minister’s residence to demand an inquiry by a Judicial Commission headed by a retired High Court Judge into the cash-for-job scam. First they were stopped by the police where Tiswadi Mamlatdar Kaushik Dessai told them about the Section 144 CrPC imposed in Panjim. But Patkar and Capt Fernandes told them that the prohibitory orders were clamped in and around 500 metres from the IFFI venue. They said that they wanted to meet the Chief Minister and convey the people’s sentiments to him.
As police blocked all the gates and refused them to come out of the main gate of Azad Maidan, the protesters jumped over the compound wall and started marching towards Altinho, but the police stopped them yet again. The protesters were later detained by the police and taken to the Panjim Police Station.
Earlier, addressing the protesters, Capt Fernandes alleged that the Sawant government had institutionalised corruption. The job scam has been going on since the BJP government came to power in 2012. Appointing a judicial commission will give confidence to the people. Government does not mean business, they want to do business. Those who sold jobs look at it as business. Undeserving people are given jobs by taking money while extension-in-service are granted to retiring staff despite vacancies, he said.
“Three months back we had raised this issue. Who is this lady who can give jobs with money? How can the Chief Minister take action when the entire scam is at his doorstep? The Chief Minister has presided over this cash-for-job scam and that is why he is not doing a proper justice. Deserving unemployed educated youth are the victims as they do not have money to give to secure jobs,” said Capt Fernandes.
Patkar charged that the Goa Police had become a puppet of the government. “We had lodged a complaint and also handed over the audio clip to the DGP seeking inquiry. But nothing was done. Sawant government has made Goa No. 1 State in terms of unemployment,” he said and demanded a white paper on vacant posts in various government departments.
“The government is not ready to appoint a Judicial Commission because the job racket is going to the doorstep of the Chief Minister. Why are the vacant posts in the health department not advertised? Is it to sell them? The government is playing with the future of youth. The government is not ready to appoint a Judicial Commission because the Chief Minister and other Cabinet Ministers and BJP functionaries are involved. Job scam has become a disease and it has spread across the State,” Patkar said.
Later Patkar said, “After a full day of illegal detention, The SDM has finally released us on a personal bond with unjust restrictions banning protests in Panjim for six months. This is nothing but an attempt to suppress our voice and stifle dissent. We will not bow down to unconstitutional tactics.”
