PANAJI
Goa Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Jose Philip D’Souza on Saturday fished out an interesting anecdote involving former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar to draw parallel with the controversial Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill 2021, which appears to have put Chief Minister Pramod Sawant government’s popularity to test.
D’Souza, while addressing a press conference here, said that when he served as a minister in Parrikar’s cabinet, during the latter’s first stint as Chief Minister, he had once used the analogy of a donkey and a carrot in matters related to governance. “I remember one thing. When Manohar Parrikar was CM, we were with him as cabinet ministers. He used to tell me. If you want a donkey to move ahead, you should dangle a carrot in front of his face,” D’Souza said, recalling Parrikar words of advice.
“The donkey will move in the direction the carrot moves. The donkey should be given hope, in the form of a carrot. I am wondering if this will be the fate of Goans,” D’Souza also said, describing the controversial legislation as a proverbial sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of Goans.
Another senior party official Avinash Bhonsle, who was also present at the press conference, further added to the analogy.
“They have nothing to show. They have come with a carrot before a donkey. He (Sawant) considers the people of Goa to be an ass, a donkey, and dangle a carrot before them,” Bhonsle said.
Earlier, D’Souza said that the party would present a memorandum opposing the legislation to Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai.
