PANJIM: The senior most leader of the Congress and the Leader of the Opposition in the State assembly Pratapsing Rane, has informally communicated to senior leaders in the party, that he will not step into the GPCC office till John Fernandes is president.
Rane is reported to have told a Congress leader who asked him if he was going to attend the disciplinary committee meeting in connection with show cause notices sent to four Congress leaders, for perceived anti-party activities, “that is a Dahej Minerals office”. Rane was referring in angry sarcasm to the GPCC president John Fernandes, who called the owner of Dahej Minerals for a press conference at the GPCC office, where the self-proclaimed mine owner, accused Rane and his son Vishwajit of demanding and accepting bribes to clear his mining lease. Based on his complaint an FIR was registered against the Ranes with the investigation being handed over to a Special Investigation Team. (Related report on Pg 3)
The incident has thrown the party in complete disarray and the GPCC president’s belated attempt to distance himself from the Dahej Minerals owner Naik’s allegations, has not cut much ice.
Needless to add, this has affected even basic party functioning, as Rane refused to attend a disciplinary committee on Wednesday to discuss the notices sent to two former Chief Ministers Francisco Sardinha and Ravi Naik, the Mahila Congress President Valanka Alemao and former minister Joaquim Alemao. In another queer twist, the disciplinary committee head Jitendra Deshprabhu appointed by the AICC was not even informed of either the notices sent or of the meeting on Wednesday. When Rane got to know that Deshprabhu was not called for the meeting, he was reportedly furious with John Fernandes and conveyed his displeasure. Shortly after, Deshprabhu received a SMS “inviting” him for the meeting followed by call from Fernandes. Deshprabhu politely refused saying that he should have been the one calling the meeting.
Congress sources have confirmed that that the State president’s act of giving party office space, to a man convicted of criminal acts and of clearly doing illegal mining, to unleash a public charge of bribery against the senior most Congress leader of Goa.
The choice of handpicking John Fernandes, was clearly that of the AICC General Secretary in charge of Goa, Digvijay Singh and Sonia Gandhi is reportedly to have expressed deep disappointment over the goings on in the GPCC to Rane, telling him in as many words ‘he was not my choice for president’.
Fernandes when contacted at the GPCC office where he waited in vain with his disciplinary team, said, “I have good relations with Rane, we met twice recently at Raj Bhavan and before the AK Anthony committee. We respect Rane as a senior party leader.”
Quite clearly Rane doesn’t reciprocate that.
