Team Herald
VASCO: Jose Philip D’Souza, a senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader from Vasco, extending his support to the mining dependents, has decided to join their protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
He said that the Winter Session of the Parliament would be as the last chance to revive the mining business in Goa. D’Souza said that he would persuade NCP supremo Sharad Pawar to attend the protests.
“The BJP has Government in Goa and at the Centre. If they can’t resume the much needed mining business in Goa then it is shameful on them,” he said.
“If you have taken the big step of demonetization with so much courage, then, why not begin mining in Goa? It shows that they are not interested in solving the problems of mining dependents,” D’Souza said.
He also said that the mining dependents are the ones who have voted the BJP to power in Goa and also gave two Lok Sabha seats in Goa to that party. “Don’t belittle the Goans for having only two seats. These are the very two seats you boasted about during you campaigns,” he warned.
D’Souza said that 2019 elections are fast approaching and the code of conduct would soon come into force. He advised that this is the last session of the parliament and it is a last chance for the BJP to show that they are concerned about the people. “If you don’t garner support and get the amendment passed, it will show that you don’t need the people; and people too won’t need you anymore,” he warned.
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Gaonkar sounds war cry
Puti Gaonkar, the leader of the mining dependents, has sounded a war cry of avenging the troubles that have been inflicted on the mining dependents since mining closure. He was speaking after meeting Jose Philip D’Souza in Vasco requesting his support to the protests planned at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Puti Gaonkar said that he requested the Goa unit of NCP and their central leadership to support and take part in their protests at Jantar Mantar. “The NCP has accepted our request and has also promised to get their central leadership to attend and address the dharna meet,” he said. Notwithstanding the promise given by the leaders of the ruling party, he said, “We have already decided that we will go ahead with the protests as it is all in their hand. We will be satisfied only after we get the amendment of the MMDR Act in hand in black and white.”
