PANJIM: A day after protesting against the visit of Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate change (MoEF&CC) Prakash Javdekar to Goa, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) on Thursday reiterated their demand for the immediate withdrawal of the consent letter issued to Karnataka’s Kalsa-Banduri project, failing which it has warned the State government of being responsible for any consequences.
On Wednesday, nearly half-a-dozen Congress workers including GPCC president Girish Chodankar were arrested. While Chodankar and two others were released immediately, three others, namely, Bicholim Block Congress President Meghashyam Raut, Cumbharjua Youth Block President Glenn Cabral and Bicholim Youth Block President Manoj Naik, who were arrested for raising slogans inside Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium when Javdekar was addressing the function, were released on bail on Thursday afternoon.
Addressing media persons, GPCC and Congress Legislative Party (CLP) unanimously demanded that Javdekar should immediately withdraw the consent letter granted to Karnataka, failing which they warned that the Goa government will be held responsible for any consequences.
“I repeat that the all-party delegation that met Javdekar on November 4, had never demanded for committee but to withdraw the consent letter given to Karnataka,” Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat said while, adding ‘Javdekar should have kept the letter in abeyance pending findings of the committee’.
“We now again demand that MOEF&CC should immediately withdraw the consent letter given to Karnataka before entire Goa storms against the Ministry,” Kamat said.
The former Chief Minister also demanded the withdrawal of section 144 of CrPc, which was put in force in the wake of the Ayodhya judgment, earlier this month.
