MARGAO
They were angry and hurt and gave vent to their sentiments over the defection of the eight-party MLAs at a meeting of Congress karyakartas at the South Goa district Congress office on Monday morning but have vowed to build a new party from the scratch.
GPCC chief Amit Patkar, who attended the meeting of the karyakartas along with district chief Savio D’Silva, Pradeep Naik, Viriato Fernandes, Olencio Simoes, Everson Vales and others, urged the workers to brace up to stage protests against the defectors.
Summing up the sentiments of the karyakartas from South Goa at the district office, Viriato Fernandes said the party leaders told the workers they should not be ashamed of the defections, but those who have defected should be ashamed for betraying the party for selfish interest and the people who had reposed trust in them.
Viriato said the party leaders and workers have vowed to build the party brick by brick by going to the grass-roots and building the party.
"We will rejuvenate the party. Rome was not built in a day. Our foundation, which was laid by the founding fathers during the freedom struggle, is intact. Our ideology is strong. Accusing fingers are pointed at Congress, but BJP is the main culprit behind purchasing the MLAs,” he said.
Saying that what is happening in the country is not good for democracy, he recalled that such a phase was seen in Germany under Adolf Hitler, who worked for one-party rule. “But, this one-party rule goes against the very norms of democracy," he said.
Conceding the party has made mistakes for giving the tickets to Michael Lobo, Rajesh Faldesai and Kedar Naik, who were all born with the ideology, Viriato said even Digambar had come to the Congress from the BJP.
Saying that workers have offered suggestions on how to go about building the party, he said the party's three MLAs will be the voice of the people.
“We have taken a decision that we don’t want quantity, but quality. We will build the party brick by brick,” he added.
On the demand by Aam Aadmi Party and Revolutionary Goans Party to file cases against the defectors, Viriato said these two parties have been attacking Congress more than BJP, only proving that they are working for the ruling party.
On the role of the High Command in allocating tickets, he asserted that the High Command is not involved in ticket distribution, saying the tickets are finalized locally.
Saying that the party workers have told GPCC chief Amit Patkar not to apologize for the sins of the defectors, Viriato said the workers have vowed to work for the party and ensure the defectors do not get elected to the Assembly again.
Kamat architect of decision to take oath before Gods: Viriato
MARGAO:
Congress leader Viriato Fernandes on Monday said that it was Digambar Kamat who was the architect of the decision to make the party candidates take an oath before the Mahalaxmi Temple, Bambolim Cross and at the Dargah.
He said when the party candidates were at Miramar one day, it was Kamat who insisted that the candidates should all go to the Temple, Holy Cross and the Dargah and take an oath that they will not betray the party.
“I had opposed the oath-taking. Instead, I suggested taking the oath on the Constitution and not bringing Gods in between. Kamat has not only betrayed the party and the people, but even the Gods,” he added.
