the goan I network
MARGAO
Asserting that he had only alerted fish-loving Goans to avoid eating fish during the two-month ban on fishing, NCP Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao slammed Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, saying if the latter was accountable to the people, the dead body of Janus Gonsavles from Aldona would not have disappeared from the government mortuary.
Taking potshots at the Health Minister for questioning his knowledge and educational background, Churchill told the media that Rane was not even born when he was going to school, adding that whatever education he (Churchill) has acquired is enough to rule the entire India.
Addressing the media, the Benaulim MLA said that the Health Minister has no knowledge about fishing and challenged Rane and other ministers to debate with him on fishing. “I am not only associated with fishing, but I have also ventured out in the sea to catch fish. Rane should know this. He has only exposed his education background by raising my educational background,” Churchill added.
Clarifying that he had only made an appeal to fish-loving Goans to be cautious while consuming fish during the two month ban, Churchill said he had issued the alert given the rising number of cancer cases reported in the state. “I have not asked the government to stop the fish or am forcibly trying to tell Goans not to eat fish,” he said.
Taking further dig at Rane for saying that he is accountable for the people of Goa as the state’s health minister, Churchill said people of Goa were still demanding answers how the dead body of Janus Gonsalves had disappeared from the government mortuary last year.
When the media sought to know why he did not raise the issue when he was a minister in the Congress government during 2007-2012 if fish was imported into the state from the east coast since that time, he shot back saying he was unaware that the fish was allegedly laced with formalin.
