TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
VASCO: After virtually being declared persona non grata by the Congress, Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho has hit back and has now threatened to file a defamation case against Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) for maligning his name.
Addressing a news conference at his office at Upasnagar-Sancoale on Monday, Godinho said he would file a defamation case against the GPCC for maligning his name and falsely implicating him in purchase of properties under fictitious names, as alleged by the GPCC.
Focusing his criticism on GPCC President John Fernandes, Godinho said: “Fernandes is the best person to write the best obituary of the Congress and will be responsible for losing both the Congress Lok Sabha seats.”
“I have been tirelessly working to strengthen and build up the Congress party since I was a Youth Congress president without any expectations from the party for higher positions,” said Godinho.
Recounting the humiliations he had suffered for being loyal to the party Godinho said: “The countdown began after the 2007 election when despite winning for the third term from Cortalim constituency I was made a speaker of the assembly instead of being rewarded with a cabinet berth.”
“The next humiliation I suffered during the 2012 Assembly election where I was unceremoniously removed as the party’s campaign chief. My only fault was that I raised my voice against illegal mining and family raj due to which the Congress was pushed to the corner.”
“Just because I was vocal against some leaders, the Congress leaders tried to topple me during the 2012 election by working against me,” Godinho said.
“Despite fighting all odds and winning the 2012 elections, the Congress leaders instead of making me leader of the opposition made me a silent MLA,” he added.
Godinho claimed that the Congress had witnessed its first downfall after sidelining him during the Cortalim by-election, when Alina Saldanha was elected unopposed. “The Congress will get a second jolt once the Lok Sabha results are out on May 17,” he warned.
Commenting about his cases, Godinho stated he was exonerated in four of the five cases. “The Congress is pursuing the fifth case and I hope the matter comes up for hearing in the SC at the earliest and I am confident of getting a clean chit,” said Godinho.
Reacting to a statement that he would not be allotted the party ticket for the next assembly elections, Godinho insisted that he did not want their ticket to get elected from his constituency.
“I will get elected irrespective of the party ticket I wish to contest the next election as the people are with me,” he said.
