Recalling how former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar used to protest against casinos in the Mandovi River when he was opposition leader, Lourenco questioned if the BJP was unaware at that time about the ‘technical’ issues they were now citing as reasons for the delay in shifting the vessels.
He also accused the BJP government of needing the casinos for finance and claimed that the party had ulterior motives in not wanting to shift the casinos.
Pointing out to the pollution levels in the river and the norms that were being flouted by casino owners, he said the government was still not willing to shift the casinos, which was the people’s demand.
Meanwhile, responding to Lourenco’s allegations, BJP State President Vinay Tendulkar asked the MLA to show where the casinos could be shifted without issues and reminded him that Congress government had brought in the casinos in the first place.
