the goan I network
MARGAO
The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee has strongly condemned Power Minister Nilesh Cabral’s statement directed to environmentalist Dr Claude Alvares, with party spokesperson Swati Kerkar saying Cabral and the BJP will have to take the responsibility if any harm is done to Alvares.
She further blamed the then Leader of the Opposition and incumbent Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for the present crisis, reminding that it was Parrikar who made capital out of the mining issue to score points against the Congress.
Flanked by PCC member, Damu Shirodkar, outgoing district Congress president Subhash Faldesai, Parag Raikar and Babu Panandikar, Swati said the police should take suo moto cognizance of the threat issued by the Power Minister, adding that the Congress will also explore the possibility of lodging a criminal complaint against Cabral.
“The BJP is fooling the mining dependents in particular and the people of Goa. Having fooled the mining dependents with promises to resume mining operations by bringing an amendment, the BJP leaders are now pushing the blame on Claude Alvares on the mining fiasco,” she added.
To a question, Swati said that the statement made by the Power Minister against Claude Alvares amounts to criminal offence. Based on the statement, harm may be caused to the environmentalist,” she said.
Reginaldo wants DGP to file
criminal case against Cabral
MARGAO: Terming Power Minister Nilesh Cabral’s statement against Goa’s environment hero Claude Alvares as an act of cowardice, Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco on Wednesday requested the Director General of Police to immediately file a criminal case against the Power Minister.
He also requested the Manohar Parrikar government to provide full-fledged round the clock security to Claude and his family.
“On behalf of Goemkars housed in pan Goa, I want to ask Cabral whether it is Narendra Modi or Amit Shah or ailing Manohar Parrikar, who have given him the green signal to intimidate Claude by menacingly stating that “if again he (Claude) goes to the court to disrupt the mining activities then we will have to throw him out of the State. I will lead the movement if such a situation arises,” Reginaldo said, adding ‘I want to enlighten the Curchorem MLA that the court gives top most priority on matters of public concern and especially pleas on safeguarding environmental protection especially caused by reckless mining devastation in Goa.
“For the BJP RSS dispensation there is no scope for tolerance in its rule book because if any one disagrees with Sangh Parivar then he/ she is immediately categorised as anti-national. Cabral talks about throwing him out. Is Goa the property of BJP’s grandfathers, a party whose founder ideologues supported the British during India’s freedom struggle,” he said.
Demanding to know whether Cabral has become the Hitler of Goa by stating that he “will lead the movement” to throw Claude out. Reginaldo told that it was not Claude who stopped mining but his sick CM Manohar Parrikar who then as leader of opposition used to shout from the roof tops against illegal mining to be of Rs 35,000 crore.
“Has Cabral forgotten that it was Manohar Parrikar who used to pat on his chest by bragging that it was he who has closed the mining in Goa? Why did not Cabral protest against Parrikar then and quit the BJP for good,” he demanded to know.
