Team Herald
PONDA: Congress workers vented their anger at Subhash Shirodkar for resigning as an MLA and joining the BJP, by staging a protest and burning his effigy at Borim circle, on Friday.
Holding placards, the protesters shouted slogans against Shirodkar saying that he sold himself to BJP for Rs 70 crore. Among others, the protestors included Mahila Congress President Pratima Coutino, Youth Congress President Adv Varad Mardolkar, Shiroda Congress workers Diya Shetkar and Nilesh Gaonkar.
Pratima Coutinho said that the party leadership was pained at, what she called, “the biggest unexpected betrayal by Subhash Shirodkar who was a Congressman for the past 35 years and was a minister when the party was in power.”
She said that despite his two consecutive defeats in 2007 and 2012, the party had reposed faith in him by giving him election ticket in 2017; and party worked hard for his victory. However, she said, Shirodkar became the biggest traitor, when party was in a position to form a government and needed his support. “Shirodkar betrayed the party for Rs 70-crore land deal,” she alleged.
She appealed to the voters of Shiroda constituency “not to fall prey and get fooled by his false promises”. She warned the voters that Shirodkar would betray them as he betrayed the Congress party which nurtured him for 35 years.
Coutinho alleged that when Shirodkar was a minister, he failed to carry out any development work and address the unemployment issue in his Shiroda constituency.
Coutinho vowed that the Congress workers would defeat Shirodkar in the by-polls by tirelessly campaigning door-to-door.
Adv Mardolkar said, “When the country is celebrating Dussehera – the festival of victory over evil, burning effigy of Ravona — we too are celebrating the festival by burning the effigy of Shirodkar for betraying the Congress for his selfish gains.”
Adv Diya Shetkar said that when the government purchases land, it has to specify the purpose for which it is acquired, but in the case of Shiroda land acquisition, the government has not stated the purpose. “Non-disclosure of the purpose strongly points to a scam running into Rs 70 crore,” she reasoned out.
“The land which was purchased for Rs 45 a square metre in 2006 has been sold for Rs 3,500 per square metre now,” she pointed out.
Later, all the Congress workers took oath to defeat Shirodkar in the by-polls.
