MAPUSA
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said some people who lost elections were trying to play politics on Shivaji statue in bid to revive their political career and that such people will never be able to strike a chord with voters.
Lobo also said that these political losers were out to divide Goans by trying to polarise a section of the community and maintained that people of Calangute were smart enough and would reject such divisive forces.
“The entire world knows that the statue was installed overnight at the Saligao-Calangute road. The earlier statue was by the side of the road which we never objected to. If the big statue was installed at the old spot then there would be no problem for anyone. But they wanted to make an issue and therefore placed it in the middle of the road,” Lobo said, without taking names but clearly training his guns at Sudesh Mayekar, a member of Shivswarajya Calangute and former panchayat member.
Just last week, the installation of Shivaji statue stoked controversy after a mob of Shiv premis stormed the Calangute panchayat protesting against the panchayat’s resolution to remove the statue.
Lobo said there were some people who were “dead” in politics who were trying to crawl back in the limelight by playing politics in the name of Shivaji Maharaj.
“They contested and lost. People sent them home. Now, they are using the statue of Shivaji to revive their political career. Nobody is interested in statue politics,” he said.
He further said that he had respect for Shivaji who was a great warrior king and a leader of the country but slammed the divisive politics in the name of the Maratha king.
“They are trying to polarise. I am appealing to people of Goa not to fall prey to such tactics. We are all one. Christians, Hindus or Muslims always remained together in Goa,” he said.
