PANAJI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rollback on controversial farm laws has a lesson for Goa, according to All India Congress Committee (AICC) senior observer for the poll-bound state P Chidambaram.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Chidambaram also said that the only way to force BJP-led governments to withdraw controversial laws, including the ones in Goa, was to defeat the party in the upcoming state assembly polls which are scheduled to be held in early 2022.
“I said, it will have an impact in Goa and I am sure that the people in Goa will realise that the only way you can mend this government is to create an opportunity to change the government. You do not have to defeat this policy or that policy, you can defeat the BJP once and for all. I hope the people of Goa will realise and vote accordingly.”
“There are very, very burning issues in Goa. Linear projects, coal hub, Bhumiputra bill, mining, these are major issues. But the BJP government will not mend its ways. They are run by a dictatorial approach. They will not mend their ways. The only way we can solve these problems is to defeat them in their election,” Chidambaram also said.
“Once you defeat them, then they will behave for five years. Otherwise, they will become more arrogant, more determined, more haughty and more undemocratic. This is a great opportunity for the people of Goa to defeat the BJP so that all these problems can be solved in the next couple of years,” he added.
Chidambaram also said that the central government rolled back on fuel prices due to a series of defeats in the recently held bypolls and the reason why Modi chose to suddenly announce a rollback farm laws, was the upcoming elections in five states.
“Remember three weeks ago, when the byelection results came and the BJP suffered a massive defeat in HP and lost badly in several other seats including Karnataka and Rajasthan, the official results came in the morning of the day and by 3 pm they announced the reduction in the prices of petrol and diesel,” he said.
