MARGAO
The INDIA bloc partners on Monday trod a cautious path over the offer made by the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), with leaders of the partners saying they do not want to fall into the "trap" of the RGP laid by the BJP.
Congress president Amit Patkar as well as AAP Chief Amit Palekar said the stand of the INDIA bloc partners on river Mhadei is very clear, adding that they had been fighting on the ground to save river Mhadei from diversion.
GPCC chief Patkar said the conditions laid by the RGP such as river Mhadei, support for POGO Bill and action against illegalities is nothing but a trap laid by the regional party for the INDIA bloc at the behest of the BJP.
“The stand of the Congress party has been consistent on river Mhadei. In fact, it was during the Congress rule that the River Mhadei Water Tribunal was set up to resolve the dispute,” he said, adding that no fingers can be raised at the Congress over the right to save the river.
Secondly, he pointed out that the POGO Bill is as good as dead since it has been rejected in the past, adding that the Congress and the Alliance partners believe in the rule of the law which should prevail in matters concerning illegalities.
“RGP’s conditional offer of support is nothing but a trap for the INDIA bloc parties laid at the behest of the BJP. The BJP has done nothing to save Mhadei but has only shed crocodile tears. While addressing the election meeting in Beglavi in Karnataka, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was opposed to the diversion of Mhadei river water to Karnataka. Do you require any further evidence of the Congress’ commitment to save Mhadei,” Patkar said.
When the media posed a question to Congress observer Manikrao Thakare on the stand adopted by the Congress High Command on river Mhadei, he pointed out that the double-engine governments of the BJP had failed to resolve the issue. “We will work out a solution when the Congress and INDIA bloc comes to power,” he said.
