MARGAO: TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai’s Liberation Day promise of completing the Sonsodo Kabrastan before the next Liberation Day has come under sharp criticism from the Muslim community.
Abdul Matin Karol, a Muslim leader who had filed a petition in the National Minorities Commission, said that Sardesai is fooling the Muslim community. “Just because the election is coming close and his position is shaky, he wants to appease the Muslims. In 2014 he had promised the community that he would complete Kabrastan in two months. Till date the work of Kabrastan has not begun,” he said.
Karol reminded that in 2016, with the help of then revenue minister Francis D’Souza, they had started the work of levelling in Sonsodo. “Vijai Sardesai sent his supporters to stop the work on Kabrastan. Then Sardesai and Digambar Kamat had approached Francis D’Souza to give them 10 days time to speak to various organisations and then start the work. After 10 days they asked for another 10 days and then asked for another month’s time. After that he never allowed the work to start on Kabrastan,” he said.
Karol accused both the MLAs of playing with Muslim sentiments. “All these years, Kamat was playing around with the Muslim community and now Kabrastan is passed on to Vijai Sardesai and now he is playing around,” he said.
Karol questioned whether the TCP minister has marked even one Kabrastan in the ODP or Regional Plan? “Why is he talking about only Margao Kabrastan. It is the need of the hour across all of Goa so he has to demarcate Kabrastans in the regional plan and ODP,” he said.
Karol said that Sardesai’s claim that Parrikar has given him his word to complete the kabrastan is false. “Parrikar had asked Vijai to convene the meeting of all stakeholders, but Vijai is dragging his feet and has not convened the meeting. That’s why I am forced to go to High Court. My petition is ready and I will be filing it soon,” he said.
