Team Herald
PANJIM: Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav on Saturday said that Goa, the ‘tiny State’ on India’s map, is packed with organized corruption. At his first interaction with journalists in Goa, over two months after being expelled from the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), he said Goa could be a place to create alternative ideas rather than just being a tourist destination.
He cited Goa’s successful movements, especially towards protection of environment while making the suggestion. “It has a special legacy of people’s movement. Goa is one State that can show a path to the country on green politics, considering its history of fighting for the environmental causes,” he said.
The AAP dissident went on to add that while for the other States, Goa is a tiny place on the map, it faces special challenges owing to organized corruption such as rampant illegal mining, which came to a halt three years back and destruction of natural resources.
“Environment is a major issue and it is waiting to get into a big political issue. Goa had taken up environmental movements, which were successfully run by the literate sections of the society. It has a tradition of citizen activism,” he added.
Meanwhile, there was as surprise element into Yogendra Yadav’s meeting with prominent activists at Campal on Saturday. Congress’ Curtorim legislator Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco was the only politician among the attendees, which he later claimed was not to do anything about switching over loyalty.
“I had just come to attend the meeting. There is nothing,” he told Herald emerging out of the meeting, which also had environmentalist Claude Alvares, Dr Oscar Rebello and others.
The expelled AAP leader, on the other hand said a politician is free to join Swaraj Abhiyan but he would not be enrolled as office bearer. Yadav, however, refused to give a clear reply to media questions on whether Lourenco or any other politician has come forward to support the group.
“Anyone who subscribes to our policy is free to join us. We want a person with a clean image and who believes in our policy. If a politician joins us, he would not be given office bearer status,” he said.
Lourenco is the only Congress legislator, seen lobbying with Independents, who are inclined to form a third political front in Goa.
