CALANGUTE: In yet another instance of political one-upmanship, two separate functions were conducted by rival parties to mark the 41st death anniversary of Goa’s first Chief Minister Dayanand Bhausaheb Bandodkar at the statue at Calangute Beach on Tuesday.
At a function organised by the Calangute BJP Block, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo offered floral tributes and garlanded the statute of the late Bandodkar.
The BJP team included MLA Lobo, Calangute BJP Block President Gurudas Shirodker, Calangute BJP Yuva Morcha President Yeshwant Kandolkar, Arpora-Nagoa Sarpanch Sushma Nagvekar, Parra Deputy Sarpanch Kamla Lingudkar and panchas of Parra and Arpora-Nagoa, while the organising team was led by Eknath Nagvekar, former Calangute sarpanch and Panch Geeta Porob, freedom fighter Ciriaco Dias, Chanu Chodankar, Laxman Porob and others.
Lobo described Bandodkar as a visionary leader, who had love and respect for the poorest of the poor and treated everyone equally.
In another function, former MGP leader Eknath Nagvekar, who has recently joined hands with the Congress, along with a Calangute panch also marked the event, which received the backing of the pro-Congress Calangute panchayat. “It is sad to note that BJP organised a separate function offering floral tributes and even garlanded the statue,” said Nagvekar.
“We had announced the function well in advance and leaders were welcome to pay their respects, but such politics was uncalled for. We are happy to know that the statue of late Bandodkar is being installed at the assembly complex which was our demand and we urge the government to give due respect to late Dr Jack Sequeira and Pandurang P Shirodker, the first opposition leader and speaker of Goa,” he said.
Ciriaco Dias regretted the incident of two separate functions to honour the late leader. “Late Bandodkar had no enmity with the opposition leader, late Dr Jack Sequeira, during his times, but both worked hand in hand for the better of Goa and Goans,” he said.
