The Goan Network
PANAJI
The Congress on Saturday sought to set the proverbial cat among the pigeons by suggesting that TCP Minister Vijai Sardessai met CM Manohar Parrikar at Delhi’s AIIMS earlier this week to actually convince him to replace Fisheries Minister Vinoda Paliencar with Calangute MLA Michael Lobo.
“Sardesai is trying to finish off the Bahujan Samaj. He is trying to convince Parrikar to replace Paliencar with Lobo,” Congress spokesperson Amarnath Panjikar said at a press conference on Saturday.
Panjikar said, Sardesai’s claim that he went to update the CM about the formalin-in-fish issue was only an alibi.
“He went with a suggestion of barter. If not, how can Vijai be so sure that Lobo will be made a Minister?” Panjikar asked, suggesting that there was no way Lobo could be inducted unless Paliencar was sacrificed, as there is currently no vacancy in the cabinet.
The Congress had also slammed Sardessai for not having met up with Amit Shah in Delhi and Panjikar reiterated the party’s stand that there was “no way” it would ever think of joining hands with Sardesai in the future.
The Congress’ claim evoked a sharp reaction from Paliencar who issued a statement late on Saturday evening rubbishing the claims and praising Sardesai’s leadership qualities and his trait to fight for the interests of his colleagues.
Paliencar said he did not need to be educated about his leader (Sardesai) by spokespersons of the Congress whose leaders he said “not only sold party tickets but also their loyalists for selfish interests.”
“Vijai is not like Goa’s Congress leaders who not only sell Congress tickets but also sell their loyalists for selfish gains,” Paliencar said.
