MARGAO
Goa Forward party on Sunday entered into Catholic-dominated Salcete as part it’s expansion plan, with party Supremo Vijay Sardesai reassuring the minorities that the regional party will not hesitate to withdraw from the Parrikar-led coalition if injustice is meted out to them.
He also allayed fears about the stability of the Manohar Parrikar-led coalition government, saying it was not only stable, but will remain strong and deliver justice to the people, while sounding a note of caution that the government will not remain in office even for a minute if it starts working against Goans.
Justifying the amendment to the Town and Country Planning Act, the TCP Minister said certain Congress leaders are opposed to it as it only goes on to exposes the party’s conversion of 11-crore square meters of land into settlement in RP 21 to benefit some Delhi builders.
“The TCP amendment seeks to give justice to Goans whose seven-crore square meters of settlement land has been notified as orchard zone. The Congress should have given justice to Goans who have suffered after their seven-crore square meters of settlement zone was notified as orchard zone. In the same RP 21, however, around 11-crore square meters of land belonging to Delhi builders was converted into settlement,” he said, while throwing a gauntlet at the Congress leaders for an open debate on the TCP amendments.
Speaking at Cuncolim at a programme organised by Goa Forward Party to welcome ex-NCP youth wing chief, Yuri Alemao and his supporters in the party fold, Sardesai also took pot shots at GPCC chief Girish Chodankar for dashing off a letter Governor Mridula Sinha not to give assent to the TCP amendment when the she had already given her assent the previous day. “The Congress party is only shedding crocodile tears for the RP. Even some Congress leaders, including Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro, will tell you
that he is a victim of the RP 21,” he said.
Asserting that the Parrikar government was stable and strong and will continue in office despite speculations doing the rounds in political circles, the TCP Minister said, “GFP is not in the coalition government with a begging bowl. We have formed this government after the party gave a word to Parrikar. We will honour our word and give justice to the people of Goa”.
He said some politicians were instilling fear in the minds of the minorities about this government. “We have not formed this government just for the sake of it. I have even told the religious leaders of the minority community that this government will not mete out injustice to anyone,” he said, while reiterating that GFP
will withdraw from the coalition the day the government starts working against the minorities.
