PANAJI
The Congress on Tuesday accused the Goa Forward Party of selling out their self-professed love for the statue of Dr Jack de Sequeira in the assembly complex in exchange for chairmanship of the Greater Panaji PDA and the clearance of a few files.
Addressing a press conference, Girish Chodankar said that the fact that the Speaker deciding that all resolutions seeking erection of statues in the legislative assembly complex would in all likelihood be rejected, and the announcement that Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate would head the Greater Panaji PDA was evidence that a quid pro quo ‘deal’ was struck between the BJP and the Goa Forward to arrive at a compromise.
“We are asking this question on behalf of the people because the people are left confused over the entire tiatr about the statue that was brought about. People have begun to feel that Goa Forward has sold to the BJP and why have they sold it? For one chairmanship and five files. This question is for us and for the whole of Goa and that question we are placing before Vijai. You have brought about this natak and now you have at the end sold
Dr Jack Sequeira for one chairmanship and the passing of four or five files,” Chodankar said.
He said that the entire drama appears scripted by the Goa Forward with the party and its leaders who barely one month ago at Lohia Maidan in Margao were saying that they would go to any lengths to ensure that the statue of Dr Jack de Sequeira comes up in the Goa Legislative Assembly had completely reneged on their word.
Chodankar also said that the verdict on the statue of Dr Jack de Sequeira in the assembly was already out as 16 Congress MLAs, three Goa Forward ministers, Churchill Alemao and Michael Lobo, a total of 21 have already publicly supported a statue in the assembly and that the Speaker’s decision was against the will of the people.
Chodankar went on to allege that the creation of the Greater Panaji PDA was an “attempt at scam.”
“Greater Panaji PDA is an attempt to scam crores of rupees. The Chief Minister had then said Mauvin Godinho’s (power scam was only) an attempt to scam which means that what scam was there was stopped. In the name of Goenkarponn, this is the scam to usurp the lands of Goans in the suburbs of Panaji. Before Parrikar later says that it was an attempt to scam and later says he stopped it, we are telling the people of Goa that this is an attempt to scam. Please stop it now and it is happening under your nose in the name of Goemkarponn,” Chodankar said.
Chodankar also questioned how Parrikar who had once called Babush corrupt and removed him as Town and Country Planning Minister is allowing him to be chairman of a planning and development authority without first “purifying” him.
“Manohar Parrikar has not given him a certificate that he is clean. Otherwise, he gives out a lot of certificates that he was corrupt, now he’s clean, etc. I’ve not seen Parrikar give Babush a certificate anywhere. So the people of Goa want to know whether Babush is corrupt or is he made clean?” Chodankar sought to know.
“People are scared that people who once Parrikar called scam masters and maha corrupt people have come under the BJP umbrella. Babush, Madkaikar, Vijai Sardesai, Mauvin Godinho, Rohan Khaunte are all big names coming together. People are afraid that they, whom Parrikar had himself said were maha corrupt, have come together,” Chodankar said.
“Among them is one man Mauvin Godinho against whom Parrikar had himself filed a complaint. It is the first in the country that the accused and the complainant are in the same cabinet,” Chodankar said.
