MARGAO: Angered with Wednesday’s defection of eight Congress MLAs to the BJP, voters under the banner of ‘Citizens Against Defections’ marked World Democracy Day on Thursday with a protest at Margao’s Lohia Maidan, calling the defection “treachery against the electorate and a mockery of God.”
Prof Joan Rebello, in a very emotional speech, said she felt miserably let down by her MLA, Digambar Kamat. “In my own way, I had mobilised people to vote for him. What do I tell them now?” she questioned. She said the worst part was Kamat invoking God. “Remember, Kamat and company, that the mills of God grind slowly, but they grind surely,” Rebello warned.
Other speakers at the meeting included John Nazareth, Jose Maria Miranda, Tanoj Adwapalkar and Lincoln Vaz, who all called upon the people of the respective constituencies to protest in front of their MLA’s residence.
Ex-MMC chairperson Savio Coutinho lamented that instead of celebrating World Democracy Day, Goans have to mourn the day on account of their greedy MLAs. “On this day, we have to say that our leaders are destroying the very definition of democracy. Having clear knowledge that the defection had already been planned, but it was just the negotiations about the packages pending, we had organized awareness protests in different constituencies,” he said. Activist Mahesh Naik called upon the youth to question their respective MLAs as to why they defected midway into another party when they were elected for five years. He said that it was a shame to see some selfish Goans destroying Goa.
In retort to Digambar Kamat’s statement that God has given him the ‘prasad’ to join the BJP, social activist Xencor Polgi said that God doesn’t give ‘prasad’ twice. “God will not allow them to enjoy it. And the people will definitely give you all an appropriate prasad during the next elections,” he said.
Fr. Eremito Rebello said that the law on defections is unjust and needs to be changed and that Goa has become a laughing stock all over. The citizens said they would continue their protests in the constituencies of the eight defectors.
