the goan I network
PANAJI
A group of Goans will on Tuesday march in peaceful protest from the NIO circle in Dona Paula to the Chief Minister’s private residence, around two and half kilometers away from the circle, to seek an interaction with the Chief Minister.
The group will be led by national award-winning RTI activist Rajan Ghate, who enters the fifth day of his indefinite hunger strike on Tuesday.
Ghate will be leading the march in a jeep, while the citizens participating will walk alongside him, informed Advocate Aires Rodrigues, addressing media persons at Azad Maidan on Monday.
Expressing confidence that the CM would give the citizens an audience, Rodrigues said, “We’re residents of the state, we’re entitled to an audience with the Chief Minister who is also the MLA of Panaji. The Chief Minister’s Office has said that the CM is doing well, and that all his parameters are fine, so there is no reason why he should not meet us.”
When asked if they had taken an appointment with the CM, Rodrigues replied in the negative while reiterating that the CM could not continue to remain inaccessible.
Meanwhile, Adv Rodrigues has also requested the police department not to try and stop the protesters in any way, as the protest would be a peaceful one.
He informed that he had already spoken to the Superintendent of Police (North) Chandan Chaudhari. Though the SP allegedly requested protestors not to hold the protest on the first day of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Rodrigues has turned down her request.
Sitting alongside Ghate and Rodrigues at the place of Ghate’s hunger strike were Congress MLA from Ponda Ravi Naik, GPCC president Girish Chodankar, other Congress party workers and spokespersons, a freedom fighter, and many others who were supporting Ghate in his cause.
Ghate’s main demand is that the CM should hand over charge to someone else, irrespective of whether he continues to hold the title of CM or not.
Expected to join in today’s march are political persons across all parties including the ruling BJP, and NGOs.
When asked whether the BJP was supporting his cause, Ghate said that he had received an unofficial call from a member of the BJP requesting him not to continue with his hunger strike.
