MARGAO
As the South Goa district administration withdrew permission for the Goy Rakhonn Yatra on the NH66 in Cuncolim on Sunday to be attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Congress hit back at the BJP government for pressurising the administration to cancel the rally permission after getting jittery over the growing success of the rally.
GPCC chief Girish Chodankar, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, Congress working presidents MLA Altone D’Costa and Sunil Kawthankar vowed to hold the Sunday rally, saying that Rahul Gandhi will not only attend the rally, but also address the people of Goa at Cuncolim at 4 pm near the Cuncolim bus stand.
Addressing a hurriedly convened press conference, the GPCC chief and the Leader of Opposition said while the administration had granted blanket permissions to hold the Goy Rakhonn Yatra in both North and South Goa, including the NH66, the permissions were withdrawn no sooner the government realised that Rahul Gandhi will join and address the Cuncolim rally.
In fact, the Congress leaders were at the South Goa district police administration on Saturday evening after the district administration pointed out that the permissions have been withdrawn based on police report.
Chodankar said the Opposition leader questioned the SP, South how the permission given for the rally on the NH66 from Balli to Cuncolim is withdrawn only after Rahul Gandhi has confirmed his participation in the Cuncolim rally on Sunday.” This only goes to show the BJP government is applying different yardsticks for the Congress leaders and BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This only shows that the BJP government is afraid of the growing popularity of the yatra, he added.
The GPCC chief said that Rahul Gandhi confirmed his visit to Goa late Friday night to participate in the yatra on October 11 at Cuncolim.
“Earlier, the administration had given all permissions for the Goy Rakhonn Yatra. It was only after the Leader of Opposition announced that Rahul Gandhi will join the yatra, that the BJP government turned jittery and directed the administration to withdraw the permissions,” he said.
Chodankar said the Congress party was ready to curtail the yatra, starting from the Cuncolim NIT instead of Balli, but this proposal too was rejected by the administration upon government’s pressure. “Withdrawal of the permissions for the yatra is a clear attempt by the BJP government to scuttle and sabotage Rahul Gandhi’s visit to join the rally,” he asserted.
The Leader of Opposition said the permissions for the Cuncolim yatra have been withdrawn only after the administration realised that Rahul Gandhi will address the rally.
Saying that Goa will soon have a new government in 2027, Yuri made an appeal to the people of Goa, the youth and senior citizens to come in large numbers to support the rally and the ongoing campaign against the BJP government.
Rahul Gandhi cancels Goa visit, to skip Cuncolim leg of yatra
PANAJI: The Goa visit of Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi scheduled for Sunday has again been put off.
Gandhi was slated to join the party’s ongoing Goy Rakhonn Yatra’s Cuncolim leg, the constituency of Leader of Opposition, Yuri Alemao.
Party sources did not give any reasons but Gandhi’s preoccupation with developments in Delhi over the protests seeking resignation of Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar over SIR irregularities is believed to have forced his team to cancel the Goa visit.
