Front urges Goans to come out, launch an aggressive agitation to save ‘Mother Mhadei’

Team Herald

PANJIM: Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of politicising the River Mhadei issue for its gain, the Save Mhadei Save Goa Front on Sunday appealed to the people of Goa to launch aggressive agitation to oppose Karnataka’s plans to divert Mhadei waters.

Addressing a press conference, Save Mhadei Save Goa Front convenor Adv Hrudaynath Shirodkar said, “We want people of Goa to launch aggressive agitation to save River Mhadei after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that the Centre has resolved the long pending dispute and permitted Karnataka to divert waters after taking Goa into confidence.”

Accusing Chief Minister Pramod Sawant of betraying the people of Goa, Adv Shirodkar said that it is now for the people of Goa to decide who the betrayer is and that time has come for them to be aggressive to save River Mhadei. 

He said that protecting River Mhadei has to be a people’s movement and they have to come on the streets to force the government to withdraw Karnataka’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Kalasa-Bandura dam project. 

“From now Mhadei has to be a people’s movement and they have to come out to save it. We will be with the people of Goa and will support their every decision even if they call for Goa bandh,” he said.

He said, that the protest to save Mhadei will be aggressive in the coming days.

Adv Shirodkar charged that the BJP has been politicking the Mhadei issue since it came to power and that Goa has been made a scapegoat for its political gain. He also demanded that Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik should stick to his decision and resign from the Union Cabinet in protest against the Centre’s decision to allow Karnataka to divert Mhadei waters.

Adv Shirodkar also disclosed that the Save Mhadei Save Goa Front will file a contempt petition in Supreme Court against Union Minister Amit Shah for his statement on diverting Mhadei waters when the matter is sub judice.  

Historian Prof Prajal Sakhardande condemned Union Minister Shah’s statement that Karnataka has achieved the diversion of Mhadei and said that it tantamounts to total betrayal of Goa on the issue of Mhadei. Shah is conveying overtly to the people of Goa that the Sawant government has accepted the diversion of waters and it is shocking.  

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant betrayed the trust of people of Goa on Mhadei to save his chair. AAP vice president Pratima Coutinho demanded that all 40 MLAs should resign in protest within 24 hours and send a message to the Centre that Goans are united to their Mother Mhadei.