Reassures Goans that if elected won’t repeat past mistakes
TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Congress leaders from South Goa put up a show of unity ahead of the April 12 Lok Sabha polls at the Lohia Maidan on Tuesday, with GPCC president John Fernandes apologising for the party’s past mistakes, while reassuring Goans that the Congress under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi will not repeat the mistakes again.
John went a step ahead by saying that Rahul Gandhi will grant special status to Goa after becoming the country’s Prime Minister, while leader of the Opposition Pratapsing Rane promised dual citizenship to Goans.
At an impressive rally at the Lohia Maidan on Tuesday evening, leader after leader slammed Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for being primarily responsible for mining closure and throwing thousands of Goans into unemployment.
In fact, Parrikar came in for sustained attack from Congress leaders, right from Leader of the Opposition Pratapsing Rane to GPCC president John, Reginaldo Lourenco, Churchill Alemao, sitting MP Francisco Sardinha, Digmabar Kamat, Babu Azgaonkar, Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik, Youth Congress president Valanka Alemao and others.
“People of Goa had brought about parivartan after Parrikar fooled them with promises galore. Two years now and people are still being fooled by the CM while doing U-turns on casinos, mining etc.”, thundered Babu Azgaonkar as he called upon the Bahujan Samaj to teach the BJP a lesson by electing Congress candidates in both the seats.
The GPCC president accused the Chief Minister for inflating the cost of Calvim bridge and disclosed plans to demand a probe by the centre into the matter. Accusing Parrikar for working out a solution to MoI issue and the Mayem Act with an eye on elections, John said the MoI policy is discriminatory, predicting that Parrikar himself will back someone to challenge the MoI policy in the court to strike it down after polls.
Sitting MP Francisco Sardinha exuded confidence of wining the polls if re-nominated by the party, adding that the country will never see
peace under the leadership of Narendra Modi. In his address, Churchill Alemao said people of India will not vote for the assassins of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, while urging the people to defeat the BJP in both North and South Goa.
RS MP Shantaram Naik said that BJP is today being ruled by the RSS, while squarely blaming Parrikar for the mining closure. Former CM Digambar Kamat said people have seen how Parrikar made an U-turn on the MoI issue, while former Home Minister lashed out at the CM for dangling the carrot before the people on regularisation of houses. MLA Reginaldo Lourenco and YC president Valanka Alemao also spoke.
