MARGAO
Saying that Goa’s mining issue is back in the Supreme Court following the recent affidavit filed in the apex court by the Centre, Power Minister Nilesh Cabral on Friday said he has no doubt that the people of Goa will re-elect both the MPs and make way for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lead the country again after the 2019 Lok Sabha poll.
On the fate of BJP’s alliance with the MGP, Cabral said, “Both the alliance partners require each other. Sudin is a senior politician and he should take the right decision since we are in an alliance.”
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the two-day all-India seminar on New & Innovative Technologies organised by the Goa Chapter of the Institution of Engineers (India) here on Friday, Cabral further said that people have not moved away from the BJP over the mining issue, exuding confidence that people aggrieved by the mining issue will now not leave the party in the ensuing election with the Centre now filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court to resolve the mining issue. “People of Goa know that the mining crisis is not the making of the BJP in Goa or at the centre, but has come following the judgement of the Supreme Court. The Centre, however, has now filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court leaving the ball in the court of the judiciary to address the issue. The matter has been pending in the Supreme Court since 1987 and the centre’s affidavit filed recently has shown that the centre is serious in addressing the issue,” he said.
Saying that the centre has been extremely positive on the resumption of mining, Cabral said the Congress should not think that they will exploit the situation to its advantage in the coming polls. “People of Goa are wise and know for sure that only the BJP can bring about a solution. Many people used to think that BJP’s voter base will erode if the issue is not resolved before the election. But the affidavit filed by the Centre asking the Supreme Court how to go about addressing the issue shows that the BJP is serious in finding a solution. The people are aware that the Congress has put them in trouble because of illegal mining,” he said.
To a question, the minister said he has no doubt in mind that Goans will also vote for the BJP and elect the two MPs when they know that PM Narendra Modi will return to power after the election. “When the entire country will vote for Modi for the second time, I am confident that Goans will again give both the Lok Sabha seats to the BJP. Unlike corruption during the 10 years of UPA rule, the BJP has ushered in the development across the country”, he said, while asserting that the BJP at the centre and in Goa will find a solution and ensure that mining resumes in the state at the earliest.
