MARGAO
In fact, Sequeira’s presence at the padyatra gave some anxious moments for the party leaders, including AICC secretary Girish Chodankar, after Wilfred’s supporters questioned the former Power Minister’s presence before the padyatra started from Nagoa village.
The Wilfred camp contended that the former Power Minister has not come for the padyatra with his supporters, drawing attention of Chodankar and others that most of the workers have been mobilized by Wilfred D’Sa.
It was only after the leaders worked out a formula wherein Wilfred and his supporters would walk behind in a group that the padyatra started from Nagoa enroute to Verna, Nuvem and Manora-Raia.
When The Goan contacted Wilfred D’Sa to throw light on the grievances of his supporters at the Padyatra, he said his workers expressed their reservations to Sequeira’s presence since he did not come with his supporters for the padyatra. “Our workers decided to walk behind to show that most of the supporters who participated in the padyatra belonged to our camp”, headed.
However, after AICC secretary Girish Chodankar again made a plea to the two-time Zilla Panchayat member that Wilfred’s workers merged with the other Padyatris when the padyatra almost approached Agnel Ashram at Verna.
Incidentally, Alexio Sequeira, Wilfred D’Sa walked down the entire route from Nagoa to Manora-Raia along with other padyatris before the padyatra culminated in a small meeting.
In his address, Chodankar slammed the Income Tax notices served on the Goa Church, saying that the action only goes to show how minorities and their institutions have been singled out by the BJP government.
Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco later welcomed the padyatra at Manora-Raia, which later culminated in a public meeting at the Gogol Housing Board, which was addressed amongst others, by NSUI national president Dhawan on Thursday evening.
