PANAJI
There were some tense moments and heated arguments exchanged in the Goa Assembly after Social Welfare, Archives and Archaeology Minister, Subhash Phaldesai clashed with the two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva over the communally sensitive Chatrapati Shivaji legacy issue and the Goan v/s non-Goan debate.
Phaldesai took objection to Silva's comment faulting the government for "wasteful expenditure" on the event to celebrate Shivaji Jayanti instead of judiciously employing the funds for propagating the legacy of the 17th-century Maratha warrior.
Silva had made the comment during his intervention in the discussion on the private member's resolution seeking a Heritage Conservation Policy of which he was a co-mover along with Vijai Sardesai and Carlos Alvares Ferreira.
Silva had said that if there exists a legacy in Goa of the Maratha warrior king then it should be highlighted with concrete projects like restoring a fort said to be built by him in Sattari instead of wasteful expenditure on events.
The minister took objection to his comment and said it had hurt his sentiments and those of many others who revered the Maratha warrior and the member should be sensitive before making such comments.
Later during the discussion on the same resolution, Phaldesai again took up cudgels against Viegas who had taken objection to the proposal for leasing heritage sites for commercial promotion through leases and contracts.
Viegas argued that this provision would leave these sites susceptible to these contracts being bagged by non-Goans.
"Goan heritage will be promoted by non-Goans? Vermas and Sharmas will come here and maintain and promote our heritage? We don't want these Vermas and Sharmas," Viegas had said.
A visibly angry Phaldesai sprung to his feet and raised objections to Viegas' 'Vermas and Sharmas' comment, following which the two legislators were engaged in a shouting match that lasted a couple of minutes but neither was clearly audible.
Later, however, Phaldesai calmed down when his turn came to reply to the discussion and opined that Viegas was wrong in generalising the Vermas and Sharmas surnames and that the MLA should reveal if there were specific individuals with those surnames involved.
"Otherwise, it gives the impression that there indeed are Vermas and Sharmas being patronised," Phaldesai said.
