DONA PAULA: Hundreds of persons and Congress party workers, coming together as ‘betrayed voters’, gathered at Dona-Paula circle near Raj Bhavan protesting the ‘unethical’ government formation.
As BJP leader Manohar Parrikar took oath as Chief Minister, protests continued to take place outside the Raj Bhavan as placards with messages reading ‘#NotMyCM’, ‘Backward Goa’, being waved.
The protestors also showed black flags with messages ‘Fott, Fotting, Fottingpon’ (lies, liars, lying) and ‘shameless masters of U-turns Rohan and Vijay’ as cars carrying Goa Forward and Independent MLAs rushed towards Raj Bhavan for the ceremony.
Heavy police security was deployed along the NIO circle right up to Raj Bhavan.
Slogans such as ‘naal kuslo’ (coconut has rotten) and ‘sogle fotting’ (all liars) and Michael Lobo Dhukor (pig) and shame shame were chanted as the MLAs passed by.
“People had rejected the BJP but the saffron party is trying to bulldoze democracy and forming the government which is completely wrong. Secondly the Governor did not allow the single largest party to stake claim to form the government. This is the major reason we are protesting against this unethical government formation,” GPCC Spokesperson Avinash Tavares said.
Citizens strongly felt that BJP with the help of Vijai Sardesai had subverted the Goa verdict and made a mockery of the election results and had taken the voters for a ride.
Social activist Swati Kerkar said, “People had voted against the BJP and had reduced their tally to 13 but now the BJP has murdered our democracy and is forming the government. The Congress had 17 MLA and is the single largest party but here they have misused their power.”
Angry citizens said the BJP that had fooled the people with its multiple U-turns over the last five years has now done a U-turn with the people’s mandate.
Victor Hugo Gomes said, “Goa Forward was always against the BJP but now they have made a U-turn just for money. Rohan Khaunte was backed by the Congress but now he has cheated his voters and joined in supporting the BJP just for a ministerial berth.”
Other citizens said they had rejected the previous government and that it does not matter to them for whom they voted for but they would not allow their votes to get wasted. “I am going to fight this illegal act of foisting an illegal government,” said an agitated citizen.
Social activist Armando Gonsalves voicing concern over the government formation said, “The single largest party should have been called by the Governor to stake claim to form the government but the Governor did not follow the process. This is murder of democracy.”
