All parties should remain united and jointly fight the decision: MGP

Team Herald

PANJIM: As the Central government notifies the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) Award even as Goa’s plea for an interim stay is pending before the Supreme Court, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to lead an all-party delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to the injustice meted out to Goa. 

Addressing media persons on Friday, MGP MLA Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar said that irrespective of a pending plea before the Supreme Court, all the parties need to be united and take a joint fight against Central government’s injustice to Goa. 

“The Chief Minister should lead an all-party delegation to the Prime Minister seeking his intervention in the matter. We are ready to support the government. But the CM should take the lead and unite all the parties,” Dhavalikar said. 

Dhavalikar slammed Union Ayush Minister Shripad Naik, MPs Vinay Tendulkar and Francisco Sardinha along with the CM for failing to convince the Centre against notifying the Tribunal Award. “If the Minister and MLAs from Karnataka can force the Centre to notify the Award, why can’t our leaders? This shows that our leaders have no weightage at the Centre or the Centre takes Goa for granted,” he said. 

Further, the former Minister reiterated the demand for a White paper on Mhadei issue since the time it cropped up in 1970 till date, which will bring out all facts and figures. He said that the government should make public all the cases filed, communications held between the State, Centre and Karnataka’s government and other related documents on Mhadei matter. 

“Let the people know from the documents – who did what, when and why for our Lifeline Mother Mhadei. Let us try and create the awareness,” he said. 

Dhavalikar added that BJP will face the wrath of the people over the Mhadei issue during the upcoming Zilla panchayat elections.