PANAJI
GPCC president Shantaram Naik, while declaring the names, hinted that the campaign in Panaji will rest on the issues of casinos and river nationalization.
"We have to protect Mandovi and for this, we have to vote for Congress. Only Congress can save River Mandovi. Parrikar is out to sell Mandovi. If government had
opposed the move, this wouldn't have happened. Goan rivers were included in the list for nationalization with the consent of the BJP government," Naik stated.
He pointed out that the casino policy does not amount to a law and hence, cannot be enforced by the state government.
"They should have redefined the terms ‘offshore' and ‘onshore' by amending the Section 13 A of the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act. A police is not enforceable as a law," Naik observed.
The GPCC chief warned that specific amount of land on both sides of the seven nationalized rivers will now go to the central government.
"The state government will have no control over this land, whatever Manohar Parrikar may claim in the Assembly. Central government permission will be needed for everything," Naik said.
Congress has appealed to all parties for support. Naik stated,
"I appeal to all parties including Aam Admi Party, Goa Forward, Goa Su-Raj Party, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and other secular forces including Nationalist Congress Party and workers of BJP to protect River Mandovi."
He further ruled out the chances of a walkover in Panaji for the BJP, which has held the constituency for over two decades.
"Parrikar is talking of winning election unopposed. There is no question of unopposed. There will be a bitter election and we will try to win," Naik declared.
Former Member of Rajya Sabha, Naik opined that Parrikar was a failure as the defence minister of the
country and said that he fumbled while answering questions about the defence ministry.
"Parrikar saw that he was nobody in Ministry of Defence. Security advisor Ajit Doval was running the ministry and Prime Minister consulted him and not Parrikar. When he saw this, he realised that he better come to Goa," Naik said taking potshots at Parrikar.
Dismissing questions about fielding a resident of Margao as the party candidate in Panaji, Naik argued that if Chodankar is from Margao, Parrikar is from Mapusa with ‘two bogus addresses in Panaji'.
Meanwhile, Congress announced that its candidates will file their nominations on Friday. While Valpoi candidate Roy Naik will file his nomination at 11 am, Chodankar will file his nomination at 3 pm.
