PANJIM: The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) seems to be quite upset and miffed with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Goa desk in-charge Digvijay Singh, for his recent statement on “party is not against casinos”. The statement has disturbed State President Luizinho Faleiro, who in the past had admitted that it was a mistake on party of his party government (then) to allow off-shore casinos in the River Mandovi.
After Digvijay Singh’s apparent foot in the mouth remark stating that the Congress is not against casinos, Luizinho Faleiro addressed a public meeting in Shiroda, hours after Dgvijay Singh left for Delhi, said that public opinion be sought to decide on whether off-shore casinos be banned or be just shifted out of river Mandovi.
The former chief minister has on many occasions spoken about his reservations against casinos, going to the extent of calling for an outright ban and accusing casino culture for making Goa the sin city of India. Since the day he took charge of the party in 2014, Faleiro has been very vocal against the off-shore casinos calling for a complete ban on gambling and live gaming.
“The proliferation of anti-social elements like casino gambling, drugs, prostitution rackets, has turned Goa into a ‘sin city’,” Faleiro had said once during a media briefing.
Meanwhile if Digvijay Singh was not enough, the AICC secretary Girish Chodankar has not outrightly opposed casinos. Chodankar said that they should not be banned but government should auction the casino licences in every two years. Chodankar was also of the view that government needs to ensure that 90 percent of the people employed on such vessels are Goans. “They should be moved out of river Mandovi. Their licence needs to be auctioned,” he said.
Meanwhile, the anguished state Congress members have complained to party national president Sonia Gandhi against AICC general secretary, whose statement can further damage Congress, which is currently facing rebels and division as it is gearing up for 2017 polls. “GPCC members have communicated to Madam Gandhi about Singh’s mess up on the controversial casino issue. President is been informed as how such statement can work against party just like 2012 polls” sources told HERALD.
Singh during his Goa visit on Saturday said that the party was not against casinos, even as the man, who said that granting licences to off-shore casinos was a mistake (Faleiro), was sitting right next to him. In fact, just a day before on Friday, Faleiro while celebrating his birthday had categorically told the people that casinos need to banned in the State.
The GPCC young bridged seems to be in sync with their leader.
When contacted, spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar said that he is of the firm belief that the decision of the party president is the best, that we should take public opinion and that the party will be bound by public decision. “The casino culture is detrimental to the society, Drastic steps have to be taken to ban it,” he said.
