Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Chief Luizinho Faleiro on Sunday spoke about stepping aside from the party leadership once the dreams and hopes of the people of Goa are realised, even as he asserted that it is the duty of the senior party leaders to make way for new faces.
At the Fatorda Congress membership programme on Sunday, Faleiro told the workers “you are the leaders, not we. We are now old and it is our duty to step aside and ask new people to come and sit on the dais. And I will do that”.
“With God’s grace, the people of Goa had given me many opportunities in my political career. I had been supported by these people of Fatorda in the past. Congress President Sonia Gandhi then called me to Delhi and made in-charge of the North Eastern State. The Congress is in power in five States in the North East. Here, there are five MLAs, but we do not hear them speak”, he said.
Saying that he has come to Goa with one purpose, Faleiro said he has a dream that Goans should not leave their motherland and sell their properties to settle abroad. “I have a dream that every Goan stands on his own legs. I will step aside after achieving that dream. I have no personal agenda. My agenda is the party agenda and through party agenda, the Goa agenda. Is that clear”, he asked the workers.
Referring to former MMC Councilor Joseph Silva, who joined the Congress on Sunday, Faleiro said the powers that be may raid his business establishments to demoralise the new entrants, but I told him to stand firm. “After 15 years, these people have raked up the SEZ issue in order to pin us down. But, we have faced all such things in our political career”, he said.
He slammed the BJP for its failure to provide two basic necessities to the common man, education and health. “Why is the government dilly dallying in resolving the MoI as per the wishes of the parents. Why is this government constantly delaying the completion of the district hospital, South when patients are forced to share beds in Hospicio”, he asked.
