Team Herald
NUVEM: General Secretary of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra touched an emotional chord on Monday when she referred to the Opinion Poll during her day’s visit to Goa.
Recalling her family ties with Goa, she said, “My grandmother gave Goa the referendum (the Opinion Poll) the first in the history of India, to ask Goans if they wanted to be merged with Maharashtra or be a separate Union Territory. It’s with the same respect for your dignity that the Congress wants to hand Goa back to Goans.”
Alleging that BJP wants to hold on to power in whichever manner they can and their focus is to help the industrialist friends by using Goa’s resources, Priyanka assured the people of the state to bring back Goa for Goans.
“BJP leaders say they want to build a golden Goa. This is just like the story of the goose who laid a golden egg. BJP is cutting up Goa to enrich themselves by disrespecting Goa’s identity,” Priyanka charged.
She said Congress leaders alleged that the transportation of coal by destroying the environment is just for a single industrialist. Not a single youth of Goa is getting jobs out of this exercise. However, people of Goa are getting pollution and destruction to the environment.
“Wherever I went and interacted with the people of Goa, all said that they are stressed. Tourism industry was most affected during the Covid pandemic, but there was very little support from the government. Shockingly, in the Union Budget there are lots of provisions for big industrialists who are friends of the government, but no provisions for medium class people and the poor, besides small businesses,” alleged Priyanka.
She said that there is a need for a government that is progressive and has a heart in the right place.
“You are watching what is happenning to Mollem forest, you have seen what is happening to hills, and also seen job scams. Every government has to give jobs and should have funds to create employment,” said Priyanka.
On arrival at Dabolim Airport, when asked about her expectations from Goa, she said that she has high expectations that the Congress will win in Goa.
After offering condolences to the family of former PCC president and first woman sarpanch late Irene Barros, Priyanka addressed a public meeting at Nuvem, where former Minister Aleixo Sequeira is the Congress candidate and later at Navelim.
