PANJIM: A day after the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) said the party would come onto streets if the Chief Minister’s medical papers were not made public within 24 hours, the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) had a different view.
The issue was hotly debated in the CLP meeting, chaired by Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant (Babu) Kavalekar, so much so that Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco finally walked out of the meeting.
“We are not here to have tea and samosas, they do not want to discuss the important matter of the people. Today there is no administration, people are suffering and what are we doing as an opposition?” Lourenco told Herald.
He said the Leader of Opposition and other senior party members did not even allow him to speak. “It is high time we come on streets and show our dissent. But these people are not interested. Hence, I walked out of the meeting,” he stated.
Kavalekar, however, clarified that the CLP is with the GPCC and will support them. “It is just that we have waited for so long. Now they (BJP) say CM will come next week so let us wait and see what happens. If he does not come then we will decide what to do. We all want the CM to come back fit,” Kavalekar said when questioned why CLP is not toeing the GPCC line.
Kavalekar further explained there is a way of protesting as CLP wants to give more time. However, he agreed there is no administration in the absence of CM at all. “We are with GPCC if it decides to protest,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) has already threatened to call for state-wide agitation, if the Governor fails to appoint a full a time Chief Minister or dissolve the present BJP-led coalition government and invite Congress to prove its majority.
“We once again appeal to the Governor to intervene in the present situation and to have a full time Chief Minister,” PCC president Girish Chodankar said.
He said that the State administration is in ICU in view of absence of Chief Minister and two of his senior Ministers – Francis D’Souza and Pandurang Madkaikar – ailing. “This government has no moral right to be in power,” he stated.
