MARGAO
Goa’s oldest political party, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) on Friday made a fervent plea to the people of Goa to bring about a revolution in 2022 by shutting doors for the Delhi-based national parties and save the State from the thod-phod politics (politics of poaching).
Led by MGP MLA Sudin Dhavalikar, party leaders and workers descended at the historic Lohia Maidan at 4 pm to take a pledge to protect the State, its people and the environment. Sudin paid homage to Dr Lohia along with Capt Viriato and other environmentalists who have been waging a battle against the government to protect the environment.
Briefing the media, Sudin appealed to all the communities to support the MGP and other regional parties to send the national parties back to Delhi if they love Goa and Goemkarponn. “Dr Ram Manohar Lohia had taken a pledge at this very place at 4 pm on June 18, 1946 to give a call to the people to liberate the motherland. Today, we have taken the pledge at the same time, because the time has come to bring about a change in Goa’s politics”, he said, while making a plea to the NGOs and environmentalists, who love Goa to join hand to bring about the change.
Exuding confidence that the minority community will also join in the revolution to bring about a political change, Sudin said people of Goa did not like the manner in which the national parties have gone about the politics of poaching to come to power.
‘The people who love environment and had opposed the linear projects should join hands to bring about a change. Because, we can resolve many issues plaguing Goa when we are in power”, he added.
He added: “We will go with other regional parties, including regional parties which are outside the State. We will talk to other like-minded local parties. Our agenda will be to keep out the national parities, which are responsible for the present state of Goa”.
MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar said both the Congress and BJP are responsible for sorry state of affairs, while saying the MGP and the United Goans had never done this in the past. “I am proud of the role played by United Goans and Dr Jack de Sequeira... they did not destroy Goa. We have to now all work together to avoid split in votes”, he said.
Saying that the Catholic community will support the MGP in its endeavour to save Goa, Sudin reminded that people of Benaulim had once elected MGP to power by defeating Wilfred de Souza.
