the goan I network
MARGAO
Ruling out the possibility of withdrawing support to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant over the contentious CAA issue, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao on Saturday said he is ready to table a resolution in the Goa Legislative Assembly demanding that the central government immediately and unconditionally revoke the CAA and all activities related to the NPR and NRC.’
Churchill reminded the media that he has extended only conditional support to the Chief Minister for the good work and will not hesitate to oppose the government on issues.
“Since I am not in favour of the CAA, NPR and NRC, I will not support the government on the issue,” he told the media.
Demanding to know why he should withdraw support to the CM, who he said was doing a fine job on the development front, Churchill said, “My support to the government is conditional. I am supporting Pramod because we have got a CM from the Bahujan Samaj after a long time and he has the interest of Goans at heart.”
He replied in the positive when asked whether he is ready to table a resolution in the ensuing Assembly session demanding revocation of CAA by the central government as demanded at the Friday meet held at Lohia Maidan, Margao.
“I will raise the issue of CAA in the Assembly. After the Lohia Maidan meeting, I discussed the matter with Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat. I am ready to table the resolution in the house,” he added. Saying that he is opposed to CAA, NPR and NRC after taking into account the interest of the Goans working overseas, Churchill said the NRC will displace the people of Goa, who are presently working abroad with Portuguese passports. “Nearly 70% of the minority community from Goa is abroad today for employment purpose. After Brexit, Goans living in UK with Portuguese passports may face an uncertain future,” he said, adding that he does not want CAA, NPR and NRC to come in the way of Goans who wish to return home to Goa.
The Benaulim MLA clarified that he had taken up the issue of the Visionaries Society after seeing the plight of the depositors from Colva and Majorda. “After I was approached by Colva panch members, I immediately called up the Colva police and requested them to register an FIR and attach the passport of the society officials,” he said.
Churchill pointed out that the depositors from the two villages would not have faced such a situation if the issue facing the Society was taken up in the Assembly in 2009 and 2013 when FIRs were registered against the society at the Maina Curtorim police station. “I have discussed the issue with Minister for Cooperation Govind Gawde, who told me that the government has appointed administrators,” Churchill said, adding that he would also request the CM to intervene and mete justice to the beleaguered depositors, whose deposits running into crores of rupees are presently at stake.
