PANAJI
The Congress on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "hoodwinking" the Schedule Tribe community over their demand for political reservation and termed the announcement by Union Minister Piyush Goyal of cabinet nod to readjustment of the seats in the Assembly as an eyewash.
Former Union minister Ramakant Khalap, who addressed a press conference on Friday flanked by GPCC president, Amit Patkar and other leaders, said: "It is an eye wash. The BJP is going to do nothing. It is just a cabinet decision, what is the guarantee that they will execute it?" Khalap asked.
Khalap expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc will form the next government at the Centre and will fulfil the demands of the ST community of Goa.
Congress' tribal leader Ramkrishna Jalmi accused UTAA of playing politics with the sentiments of the tribal community.
“UTAA was given the responsibility to pursue political reservation, but most of its members joined the BJP and the movement stopped. In 2011, they suddenly launched an agitation in which two youths from our community died. BJP used this movement politically,” Jalmi alleged.
