The Martyr’s Memorial lying in rubble.
Workers lifting the memorial late in the evening before it was wrapped with plastic sheet for transportation.
MARGAO: A day after the authorities found the statue of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia safe and intact, a fresh row broke out on Wednesday after the Martyrs’ Memorial was found lying in a heap of rubble and debris at the historic Lohia Maidan, Margao.
The Congress was quick to fire salvo at the BJP government for repeatedly insulting the freedom fighters and martyrs, with GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar holding out a threat that party volunteers will shift the abandoned Martyrs’ Memorial to a safe place if the government fails to secure the same within 24 hours.
As the situation threatened to snowball into a major controversy, Margao Municipal Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes sent an SOS to the Director, Urban Development and GSUDA Member Secretary Gurudas Pilarnekar to direct the contractor to immediately secure the memorial abandoned in the heap of rubble.
Without wasting any time, Pilarnekar immediately swung into action and got the contractor to secure the memorial. Labourers engaged by the contractor first removed the memorial from the debris and after cleaning it, wrapped the same with plastic sheets.
Pilarnekar told The Goan that the contractor has been told to lift the memorial and secure the same at a safe place.
Earlier in the day, BJP leader and member of 18th June Kranti Din Samiti member Parag Raikar said that people should stop taking mileage by highlighting the Lohia Maidan issue. “I don’t think the contractor is at fault. Any mistake by the contractor can be pointed out if anything wrong has been done during the beautification work”, he said, adding that the Martyr’s memorial will be secured to a safe place by the contractor like the statue.
Meanwhile, GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar said the BJP Government under Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has no respect for the Martyrs who sacrificed for Liberation of Goa. “Although the missing Statue of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia was traced to the godown of the contractor, the Martyr’s Memorial at the historic Lohia Maidan is found lying abandoned at Lohia Maidan today”, he said.
He warned the Chief Minister that if the Government fails to shift the Martyr’s Memorial lying on the ground at Lohia Maidan within 24 hrs, Congress volunteers will do the needful and place the monument under safety and security.
“It is disgusting that the BJP Government is repeatedly insulting the Freedom Fighters and Martyrs who sacrificed everything for Goa Liberation. The fake nationalism of the BJP Government stands exposed”, charged Chodankar as he demanded that the Statue and the Martyrs Memorial as well as the Plaques and other historic items should be handled only by competent people under supervision of Freedom Fighters.
Saying there is every possibility that the insensitive BJP Government can sell the Monuments to the Crony Club, he appealed to the Freedom Fighters and Citizens to remain vigilant.
