TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Congress campaign for the South Goa Lok Sabha seat ended in style with the party holding an impressive meeting at Lohia Maidan here on Wednesday, with party candidate Reginaldo Lourenco promising to scrap Mopa airport and fight for special status to retain Goa’s distinct identity.
Sharing the dais in support of Reginaldo’s candidature were former Chief Ministers Dr Wilfred de Souza, Luizinho Faleiro, Digambar Kamat, NCP leader Jose Philip D’Souza, Independent MLA Vijai Sardessai, UGDP leader Radharao Gracias, GPCC President John Fernandes, besides activist Aires Rodrigues.
In his address, Reginaldo said he would accord top most priority for a financial package to mining-dependent people hit by closure of mining. Expressing satisfaction over response to his candidature, he thanked people of South Goa and leaders who rallied behind him during the entire campaign.
In his address, AICC general secretary Luizinho Faleiro hit out at BJP’s Gujarat model, warning the people of Goa that the same will only destroy the secular fabric of the state. “Goa model is acclaimed world wide for peace and communal harmony. We have to tell the BJP in the coming polls that Goans do not want the Gujarat model in their peaceful state”, he said.
Faleiro thanked all non-Congress leaders, including UGDP leader Radharao Gracias, for rallying behind the party to keep communal forces at bay. He strongly protested against remarks made against the clergy by a person from Velsao at Calangute, saying these people are only talking the language of their masters.
In his address, independent MLA Vijai Sardessai demanded to know how many more elections will BJP require to grant equal status for minorities in the state, and accused Parrikar of fooling people with empty promises on legalising dhirios.
He took strong exception to the attacks on priests and Shahi Imam by BJP members and cautioned the people that a vote for Churchill Alemao will mean a vote for Narendra Modi.
GPCC president John Fernandes said the people of Goa are fed up of the parivartan with the BJP government failing to deliver the goods. He said the Congress would win both the Lok Sabha seats and promised that only Rahul Gandhi will fulfil aspirations of Goans for special status.
In his address, former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said the Congress does not believe in the politics of revenge, saying the people of South Goa will teach a lesson to BJP for the injustices and harassment meted out to them in the last two years.
In his address, former Chief Minister Dr Wilfred de Souza called upon Trinamool Congress candidate Churchill Alemao to withdraw from the fray and maintain unity of secular forces. He said that Parrikar is concentrating in South Goa because the party has already conceded defeat in North Goa.
UGDP vice-president Radharao Gracias said the BJP has not fielded a Catholic candidate in South Goa because of its communal agenda. “There’s a tradition in Goa, wherein people elect a Hindu and Catholic as their representatives in Delhi. But the BJP has fielded Hindus in both North and South Goa as part of their communal politics”, he said.
Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik, NCP leader Jose Philip D’Souza, Luis Alex Cardozo, Babita Angle and others spoke at the meeting.
