MARGAO: Herald in its Sunday Review raised the issue of the abject silence of the independent Salcete MLAs to BJP government’s anti-minority decisions, which have affected Salcete deeply. (The Silence of the Lambs). On Sunday, the MLAs reacted.
The first to react was Benaulim MLA Caetano Silva. Caitu pointed that the BJP has 21 MLAs and does not need his or Avertano’s or even Benjamin’s support, but it’s they who need the BJP.
“I am not from the BJP neither do I support the ideology of the BJP in India. That’s the reason I am an independent MLA and have stayed away from the BJP. But I need the BJP. I need the BJP rather than the one I have defeated,” asserted Caitu.
Caitu pointed out that for the last 15 years whoever represented Benaulim, was always a minister but the constituency only saw goondaism, distribution of money, thefts and illegal activities supported by the families in power but no development. But, it is he who has changed all that with development.
Avertano Furtado, the only minister from Salcete yet again after Mickky Pacheco’s resignation said, “People who are not in power are the ones who usually do the talking – actually the yelling, while I am always in work mode. I have continuously expressed my reservation on Mopa and opposed the airport. I was the one who led a proper delegation to the CM with the beef vendors and got the meat complex reopened. What more can I offer as the Salcete MLA and minister? People reposed faith in me and even elected my ZP candidates.”
Avertano decided to keep silent on Wilfred D’Sa (Babazinho) joining the Congress stating that these are not his issues. Avertano also stated that his agitation against Mopa would continue despite being a minister.
“Why doesn’t the media target Fr Eremito who used to liaison with the corrupt Churchill Alemao before, the same Churchill who said Goa should have two airports? Why does the media now publish Fr Eremito’s sermons on Mopa? He slept on the issue, while I have fought for Catholics and Salcete since I was 14 years old,” stated an angry Caitu who is not pleased that he was said to be silent on the BJP.
“Road widening, underground cabling, sewerage pipelines and water lines are being laid throughout Benaulim constituency on a war footing. On Mopa, we have taken our stand and I have opposed anything incorrect like the communal flare or the beef ban. I even took a stand on the ZP candidates and went with people who had a better image. There’s no question of a debate on this,” stated Caitu.
While Benjamin Silva feels that people who think negativly will always stay negative and would not appreciate his work done with the support of the BJP government.
“I am always pro-meat vendors, pro-fishermen. I led Fr Maverick and the beef vendors and attacked the CM for his agenda. Why doesn’t anyone highlight that. Forget the Congress that is silent. I have attacked the BJP on ghar wapsi then the Congress and all its MLAs but no one gives me publicity,” claimed Velim MLA Benjamin.
“Velim has been a backward constituency and after much work, I have managed to bring developmental works to the constituency. In Filipe Neri’s time though he was a minister, Velim was ignored. I have been vocal on safety of minorities and on the issue of attacks on churches. Speaking up against something is speaking up to the system and government and not in the media. I have done so much that I even woke up former MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues from his slumber to work for the people in Velim,” stated the Velim MLA Benjamin Silva.
“The media likes to play to the galleries. You need to do your homework. The Qureshi Brothers, meat traders in Maharashtra are the ones to deny beef to Goans and all this is done to hike up the price and demand. On the other hand, the attacks on churches have been more in places where the BJP is not in power. PM Modi has intervened in church attacks, and Parrikar and Parsekar have banned the Sri Ram Sene too. Goa has been so safe for us minorities, why rake up these issues,” questions Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida.
The issues, dear MLAs are being raised by the people of Salcete. And they decide.
