RGP President Manoj Parab along with party leaders Anish Naik, Vishvesh Naik and Ajay Kholkar addressing reporters in Panaji on Saturday.
OLD GOA
RGP President Manoj Parab has said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has vindicated his party stand on Person of Goan Origin (POGO) with his statement that there is definition of POGO.
Addressing reporters in Panaji on Saturday, Parab said, "When our MLA Viresh Borkar raised the issue in the Assembly, on Friday, CM Sawant said that there is definition of who is a person of Goan origin. With this, the party stand on POGO now stands vindicated."
"Earlier, many politicians used to call our demand for passing of POGO Bill as unconstitutional but with CM's statement it has now clearly been established that we were within our rights to demand for passing of POGO Bill," Parab added.
He then chided those calling RGP demand as unconstitutional and questioned whether they will also call CM's statement as unconstitutional.
"Will these people now call CM's statement as unconstitutional?" Parab asked.
He then thanked the Opposition MLAs like Yuri Alemao and Venzy Viegas for their support to Borkar in the Assembly, and said that they will now approach the other opposition parties for their support to the POGO Bill.
"Our MLA Borkar had only moved a resolution in this Assembly, but we are now going to meet the opposition parties for their support to POGO Bill which has been kept in abeyance," Parab added.
"The POGO Bill which was moved by our MLA long back has been kept in abeyance and we will now approach the other opposition parties to garner their support as there is an urgent need to have a definite law to define POGO," Parab stated.
"We are open for discussion with the other opposition parties on the issue so that their suggestions are also incorporated in the POGO Bill," he said but informed that RGP won't bow down to attempts to dilute the identity of Goa and Goans.
"We won't allow dilution of our identity at any cost and we are willing to wait till our party forms the government to get the POGO Bill passed," Parab added.
