PANJIM: Goa Forward Party (GFP), the coalition partner in the Government, has condemned the threats from Maharashtra politicians on the ban of non-registered vehicles for fish imports from the neighbouring States.
In a press statement, GFP’s youth wing President Raj Malik said “We have been reading series of statements by politicians from Maharashtra, first Kankavli MLA Nitesh Rane and then Sindhudurg MP Vinayak Raut over the current issue of stringent check of fish carrying vehicles on Goa borders by Food and Drugs Administration. Both the politicians have tried to play inter-state politics in the matter while Goa has always played a role of a good neighbour. We strongly condemn the act of politicians to threaten Goem and Goenkars. The statements like ‘we will attack the vehicles with Goa number plate, if they ply in Maharashtra border’ are unwarranted and smacks of political conspiracy”.
The youth wing has threatened to shut down Rane’s businesses operating in the State if the latter continues to threaten Goa. “Rane should not forget that he has business interests in Goa in tourism and automobile sector. It will take only one day for us to shut down his own businesses, if he speaks the language of violence”, Malik stated. He further said “Don’t challenge us when your existence is dependent on us. Even to catch a flight to go to his constituency, Rane has to use Goa Airport”.
Claiming that Goenkars are the core of GFP’s political ideology with no compromise on it, Malik said that Goenkars are always peace loving people but’ that does not mean we are coward or can’t fight back.’ “If we decide to fight back, then politicians like Nitesh Rane and Vinayak Raut will face defeats in their own constituencies and will not able to step in their own Sindhudurg, forget about Goa. Goans and people from Konkan are living like brothers, but the politicians are trying to give political colour to the issue of fish. Goa government is duty bound to provide quality food to its people and FDA checks are to ensure that the fish is chemical free,” he added.
The party has thus demanded that Rane and Raut should resign on grounds that they could not provide proper medical facilities in Konkan due to which 30 per cent of the patients in Goa Medical College and Hospital are from Maharashtra.
Malik went on to state that the two politicians should also know that their fish catch fetches value only when it is sold in Margao fish markets. “Both the politicians should first create market for their own product and provide proper value for the catch. They should not forget that the fishermen from Malvan, Devgad up to Ratnagiri are dependent on Goan fish market,” he said.
GFP President and Minister Vijai Sardesai had recently said they will not bog down to any threats and that Goa government will not roll back the guidelines on fish transporting vehicles.
