Apology? No way, thunders Churchill
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, MARCH 18
Rejecting outright the G-7 demand for an apology, Public Works Department Minister Churchill Alemao thundered that the doors are open for the three Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) legislators to leave the coalition government saying the Congress is ready to face the polls and seek a fresh mandate.
Terming the NCP MLAs as three musketeers, Alemao dared them to resign and face the poll, saying that that the Sharad Pawar-led party would not win a single seat in Goa. “If anyone has the guts to resign, I have no problem. This is my open challenge that the NCP would not win a single seat in Goa in the future”, he said, while addressing newsmen here on Thursday.
Expressing shock over the G-7 demand for an apology from him over his statement that the Congress should not have any truck with the NCP in the future, Alemao said he is a not a man who would tender an apology to anyone, except God and the people. “I will never apologise to these type of leaders”, he asserted.
Surprisingly, Alemao singled out only the NCP MLAs at the briefing, while sparing the remaining four members of the G-7. In fact, he did not utter a word against the non-NCP members of the G-7.
“Don’t ask Alemao to apologise for these three musketeers. They come and go, but Alemao is a man of the people . I fear only God and the people, unlike these three musketeers”, he said.
Alemao said he had opposed any alliance with the NCP for the sharing of the ZP post as the Congress had got a thumping majority in South Goa. “Members of the NCP can come in the Congress, but they cannot demand for any alliance. I will never agree. My MLAs and the chief minister will not agree for this alliance”, he said.
Saying that the Kamat-led government is strong, Alemao said “The assembly session is coming soon. Let us what will happen”. He, however, said “Those who don’t way to stay in the government are free to do what they want. We are ready for polls.”
When asked why his party leaders have not rallied behind him vis-à-vis the G-7 demand for an apology from him, Alemao shot back “It doesn’t matter whether any leaders come to support me or not. The God and the people are with me. Some people are quite because they want a ticket. I am not a person who will ask for a ticket”.
When newsmen asked whether the chief minister is ready for mid-term polls, Alemao retorted “Ask the chief minister if he is ready for the polls”. To a suggestion that his tirade against the NCP amounts to indiscipline, Alemao asked “Where is the question of discipline or indiscipline. You want me to keep quite when the NCP is demanding an apology from me”.
Incidentally, the PWD minister has lamented that no one has initiated action against former Lok Sabha speaker and NCP leader P A Sangma for his utterances against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh that the UPA is banking on the Rajya sabha for a candidate for the post of prime minister. “Dr Singh has been accepted not only in India, but across the world”, he said.
Saying the UPA government at the Centre is working for the common man, Alemao said Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul are working overtime to deliver the goods to the poor and the downtrodden. “The people of Goa have given a thumping mandate for the Congress in the Zilla polls because of the implementation of schemes for the poor in the State”, he added.
