Team Herald
PANJIM: Following BJP’s U-turn on special status, the Congress has decided to take up the cause of protecting Goan identity and seeking a financial package from the Centre, and make it their 2017 poll promise. But before that, the party wants the Laxmikant Parsekar-led government to apologise to the people for its “shameful betrayal” on the assurance.
“The BJP government has shamefully betrayed the people of Goa on their poll promise to grant special status to Goa. The BJP leaders need to apologise to the voters for the lie and betrayal,” Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Luizinho Faleiro told media persons on Tuesday.
“The government is trying to confuse the people on the issue of special status – protect the identity and financial package,” he added promising that once voted to power Congress will leave no stone unturned to grant special status to Goa for protection of its identity and seek a special financial package as the State is currently going through an economic meltdown.
The former chief minister said the State needs financial support from the Centre.
Meanwhile, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai criticised the BJP for mocking Goans on the special status demand. “Goans demanded special status not for money but to protect the land, culture, heritage and identity of Goa. If the bridge was special status then Churchill Alemao built three bridges in Navelim and people gave him special status.”
The opposition reaction came a day after BJP national leader Shrikant Sharma and the Chief Minister ruled out special status to Goa. BJP in 2012 had promised special status under Article 371 of the Constitution.
“I would like to recall here, that it was then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who had moved the resolution in the House for special status and had even led a delegation to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding the same,” Faleiro said.
“Even the present Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Goa visit in 2014, before the Lok Sabha elections had said that if a proposal comes from the State for special status, his government would be happy to accept it,” he added.
