MARGAO
Congress marked the third anniversary of the defection of its eight MLAs on Sunday with a protest in Margao. Leaders gathered near the Margao Municipal Council with banners and photos of the defectors. Their portraits were burnt as slogans were raised.
South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes called September 14, 2022, a “black day” in Goan politics, when the MLAs left Congress to join the BJP. Linking it to Rahul Gandhi’s campaign against “vote chori”, he said the BJP had again robbed the people’s mandate.
Fernandes vowed to continue the fight, accusing the BJP of siding with coal corporates. He reminded how Digambar Kamat once swore to oppose coal projects but broke his word. District president Savio D’Silva urged Goans to reject the defectors, while Savio Coutinho and Manisha Usgaonkar said the MLAs betrayed voters for personal gain.
