MARGAO: Salcete-based politicos, including Goa Forward Party Chief and TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai, Congress party President Shantaram Naik and NCP’s lone MLA Churchill Alemao have vowed to carry on the battle in support of the installation of Jack Sequeira’s statue in the Assembly complex.
Expressing shock and surprise that the Speaker has blocked the resolutions (Speaker has denied the same), the TCP Minister said he would espouse the cause at every forum. But at the same time he went on to add that the matter falls within the domain of the Speaker.
Shantaram said the Congress MLAs will raise the issue in the House. “The Speaker has to listen to what the elected members have to say on the resolutions as they reflect people’s aspirations,” he said. The GPCC chief said the resolutions may have been allowed for discussion in the House had the Speaker been from Calangute, Siolim or from any other part of Salcete taluka. Churchill pointed out that he would raise the issue every Friday during the ensuing session. “By taking a decision to block the resolutions from being taken up for discussions, the Speaker has taken away the right to discuss a public issue,” he observed. “The Assembly is a place where aspirations of the people come true. They reflect the sentiments of the common man,” he added.
The Benaulim MLA pointed out that certain people are putting hurdles in the way of installation of the statue, knowing well that had it not been for the Opinion Poll movement, Goa would have been a district of Maharashtra having may be two MLAs.
