TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: A meeting organized in Rumdamol, Navelim attracted a massive crowd in support of Congress candidate Reginaldo Lourenco. Reginald made a brief stop at the venue as he was on his way to another meeting; however, present at the meeting was Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai, Congress spokesperson Pratima Coutinho, Congress Minority Chief Saifulla Khan, local leader Iftikar Sheikh and others.
Speaking at the meeting Saifulla Khan said that the Congress party has always worked in the interest of minorities. “The party has provided a lot of facilities and schemes in the field of education,” he said and added that the Congress party is the only party that has done work for the upliftment of the Muslim community. He said the BJP will never work for the minorities as their agenda is anti-minority. Saifulla reminded the Muslim community of the barbaric act in Gujarat in 2002 and appealed to the people to avenge this act and not support a candidate who has close links to the RSS that demonstrated such inhuman violence in Gujarat.
Speaking about all the schemes the Congress-led UPA govt has implemented, Congress spokesperson Pratima Coutinho explained the benefits the people have received due to the Right to Food and Right to Education. She spoke on how transparency has been brought about in governance through the Right to Information Act. She further said that many more schemes will be introduced when they form the next govt at the centre. She said the BJP made tall claims of appointing a Lokayukta in Goa but has failed just like it failed in Gujarat.
Vijai Sardesai said that the people should not be cowed down by the ‘dadagiri’ of the BJP. He assured that schemes once granted cannot be stopped by the govt and these were empty threats by the BJP to scare the people. He said the Congress candidate will never turn his back on the Muslim community. Sardesai reminded the people that it was the Govansh Raksha Abhiyan (GRA) that was averse to Qurbani by the Muslims and it is the CM who is an advisor to this organization.
Iftikar Sheikh reminded how the Muslim community lives in fear in Gujarat and how the same situation can be expected in Goa if Modi is allowed to come to power at the centre. He said that the Muslim community was pleased with the candidature of Reginaldo by the Congress party and they will all work in unity to ensure his victory.
