Team Herald
MARGAO: A group of concerned citizens staged a dharna in Margao, drawing attention to unfulfilled political promises and recent defections, with a pointed focus on Margao MLA Digambar Kamat. The protesters, including prominent activists Adv Snehal Onskar, Radha Kavlekar, and Aziz Shah, sought to hold Kamat accountable for the BJP’s 2013 election promise to deposit Rs 15 lakh into every Indian’s bank account—a pledge made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Brandishing sarcastic posters directed at Kamat, who defected from Congress to join the BJP, the protesters highlighted what they see as Kamat’s changed stance. One poster read, “For 9 years you demanded that the BJP should deposit 15 lakh as promised by Modiji. Now that you are with BJP, please get the 15 lakh for Madgaonkars soon.”
Congress party leader and former Margao Municipal Chairperson, Savio Coutinho explained that the protest aimed to expose what he described as misleading actions by leaders like Kamat. He argued that Kamat’s defection was a betrayal of public trust, noting that Kamat had previously been a vocal critic of the BJP but switched allegiance, presumably for political advantage.
Coutinho also referenced Kamat’s diminishing influence, pointing to low voter support for Kamat during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as evidence of his waning popularity in Margao and South Goa. He claimed that the BJP’s decision to induct Kamat into the ministry might harm the party’s credibility with its supporters.
This protest adds to the growing discontent in Goa, where citizens express disillusionment over politicians shifting parties for power while neglecting promises made to the public. The issue of the BJP’s Rs 15 lakh pledge remains a sore point, with protesters calling for accountability and transparency from those now in power.
