D’Mello dares Youth Cong president to come out clean
Sankalp must focus on his youth activities: Jose Philip
PANJIM/VASCO SEPT 7
A war of words has erupted between the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress party’s youth wing, Goa Pradesh Youth Congress, leading to some serious allegations levelled by the former on the president of the latter on Tuesday.
Criticising the GPYC President for his outburst against NCP State President yesterday, NCP Spokesperson Trajano D’Mello alleged the GPYC chief Sankalp Amonkar had not yet declared the money collected for Canacona flood relief. I am making this allegation because the issue affects the public at large, he stated.
Answering a query posed by media persons at a press conference especially called to react to Amonkar’s outbursts, the NCP Spokesperson replied, “As long as the sum of relief money was not announced I assume the whole affair is a scam. I challenge the GPYC President to declare the money by tomorrow and prove he is clean.”
D’Mello further charged Amonkar of falling to the extent of collecting money from Panjim market vegetable vendors for his birthday celebrations before taking over as Chairman of the Goa State Horticulture Corporation. He had the appointment of GSHC but had delayed in taking charge to collect this illicit money from the vendors, he ridiculed.
He maintained the GPYC had remained mum on issues affecting the youth like the attack on the State President of National Students Union of India Sunil Kawthankar. Amonkar never even uttered a word on the attack on the student leader. He has been also silent on the police-politician-drug mafia nexus, he stated.
D’Mello said Amonkar has no credibility because his complaint to youth leader Rahul Gandhi against a political leader from Taleigao didn’t stand as the same figure is in the Congress party today.
At the centre of the war of words between Amonkar and D’Mello is the recent convention of the NCP at Mapusa where its State President Jose Philip D’Souza spoke of strengthening his party in all constituencies. Amonkar reacted by saying the Congress too would build the party in six constituencies that are with NCP.
D’Mello said probably Amonkar was ignorant of politics. “It is NCP’s Constitutional right to strengthen the party across Goa and we are doing just that. Election figures indicate we have fared better than Congress in the last assembly elections by winning three out of six seats giving us a winning percentage of 50 per cent.” Compare this result, he stated, to that of the Congress which won 16 out of 34 seats giving a wining percentage of less than 50 per cent.
He said keeping this is mind the NCP has a chance to claim some of the constituencies the Congress lost to BJP.
Reacting to Amonkar’s statements that there were agents of NCP within the Congress party, the spokesperson said this was serious because it pointed out that the former had blamed his own party men of corrupt practices.
VASCO REPORTER ADDS: Reacting to the challenge of Goa Pradesh Youth Congress President Sankalp Amonkar, Revenue Minister Jose Philip D’Souza on Tuesday said Sankalp should, instead, concentrate on his youth activities.
It may be recalled that Amonkar while addressing a press conference at Congress House on Monday had thrown a challenge at NCP President Jose Philip D’Souza to win the Vasco seat next time on his own.
Speaking to media along the sidelines of a function at New Vaddem-Vasco, on Tuesday morning, D’Souza said Amonkar is free to make any claims about election prospects, as he knows that such statements will not make any difference to him.
“Reacting to his statement means giving him free publicity. I advice him if he concentrates on his youth activities, it will better for him rather than making such tall claims. This is not his cup of tea,” claimed D’Souza.
He further said that NCP is coalition partner in the ruling government and has always abided with the coalition dharma and with making Amonkar such a statement, it suggests who is violating the coalition dharma.
“As far as winning the election is concerned, I have won the last elections even though local Congress leaders campaigned against me,” said D’Souza.
He said he respects his voters and the High Command and he is accountable to them when he goes to polls the next time and not people like Amonkar.
He reminded Amonkar that he is only legislator from Vasco who has won the election twice from Vasco constituency, despite strong opposition from Congress leaders.
