Congress ST Cell leader Joseph Vaz display census details to prove a point that the total ST population in Goa is over 1.50 lakh.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
The Congress party has slammed Union Minister for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale on his statement on ST reservation, with party leader Elvis Gomes said the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should come clear on the long-pending demand of the ST community for political reservations.
Addressing the media along with party ST cell leader, Sarpanch Joseph Vaz, Melvyn Fernandes and Yogesh Nagvenkar, Elvis said it was unfortunate that the Union Minister has stated that the Mull Goemkars are not entitled for political reservations.
“Athawale’s statement has only laid bare the BJP ideology that they are only fooling the ST community with empty promises. The house resolution on the issue will not help the ST community. We have seen the House adopting resolutions for special status for Goa, but the BJP ruling at the centre for the last 10 years has not given special status for the state”, he said.
Congress ST Cell leader Joseph Vaz demanded that the Union Minister should apologize to the tribal people and withdraw his statement.
“The Union Minister ought to have discussed with the BJP ST leader before stating that Goa has small ST population. The Minister should know that the total population of the ST in Goa in over 1.5 lakh”, he said, demanding to know how the Union Minister could make such a statement when the Chief Minister of Goa had assured on the floor of the House to lead an all party delegation to the Centre to get political reservations for the ST community.
Joseph demanded that the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should clarify his stand and clear the air on the issue.
Goa Forward Party President Vijai Sardesai slammed the government calling Athawale’s statement as both surprising and highly unlikely.
“Is this a joke or BJP govt policy? The statement of the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Ramdas Athawale that reservation for ST is not possible in the #Goa Assembly is too shocking and improbable to consider seriously. The Goa Assembly has unanimously requested @GovtofGoa to take steps to persuade the Govt of India to implement this long-standing and just demand of the community ASAP. I want the @BJP4Goa and the @goacm to respond immediately to his statement, and clarify to the ST community and the people of Goa where they stand. I cannot let comments like this pass without question. Is the Double Engine out to deceive the ST community once again?” he tweeted.
