MARGAO: Goa Forward Party President Vijai Sardessai dismissed the charges made by Congress Party against him of stopping the traditional Christmas Dance at Nuvem as a “phobia” that Congress President Girish Chodankar has of him.
He said that Chodankar has developed a phobia of him in 1996 when he got Chodankar elected to the Margao Municipal Council. And he dismissed Sidhnath Buyao as an entertainer who would go with the highest bidder.
Vijai pointed out that the organisers of the dance have not said a word and wondered whether the Congress party has now become event managers as they have raised the issue. Asserting that he never interferes in other department, he pointed out that Christmas dance does not come under the purview of Agriculture or TCP or Archaeology departments that he is the minister for.
Also pointing out that the local gram sabha had objected to the dance, he said the government had merely respected the gram sabha decision as it holds the local governing bodies in high esteem and wondered whether the Congress has objection to respecting gram sabha resolutions.
He clarified that the dance at SGPDA was not organised by him but admitted that since it was happening in Fatorda, We for Fatorda supported it. “Even I was present for the dance but that does not mean that I stopped the dance at Nuvem,” he said.
Vijai said the Congress had also spoken against his demand for in flight announcements to be made in Konkani and also accused him in the formalin issue which he had earnestly got involved in to help Goans only because Chodankar has an allergy for him.
“It is time the Congress makes its stand clear and tell the people whether they are in favour of Konkani or not,” he said adding that Chodankar would further damage the Congress Party as he is not in consonant with his own party MLAs who are speaking a different language.
“Congress MLAs are in touch with me and they feel that Chodankar is the reason why Congress is not going forward and this is something that Chodankar needs to realise,” he said adding that Chodankar would take the Congress to the pits in Goa.
Claiming that it was the very “phobia” that the Congress has against him that prevented them from forming the government despite emerging as the single largest party at the last elections, he said the few victories the Congress has got in North India would have no impact on Goa.
