the goan I network
MARGAO
As curtains set to come down on the 5-day session of the Goa Legislative Assembly, three Salcete MLAs “ Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Wilfred D’Sa and Clafacio Dias “ may come under the scanner of their constituents over the contentious Citizens Amendment Act.
In fact, observers say the CAA will certainly come to haunt the minority BJP MLAs with the Church-organ the Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP) spearheading the anti-CAA stir in the state and the break-away Congress MLAs, including the three Salcete MLAs supporting the controversial Amendment on the floor of the House.
How these MLAs will handle the emerging situation in the event the anti-CAA stir gains momentum remains to be seen, sources said.
Six months ago, the breakaway MLAs had escaped the wrath of their constituents after they merged into the BJP. Hardly any voices of protest were raised against their decision in the pre-dominantly minority strongholds of Velim and Nuvem, besides Cuncolim.
The reason could be many. One, the breakaway group managed to exploit the strong sentiments against Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai for honeymooning with late Manohar Parrikar after denying the Congress the opportunity to form the government post-2017 assembly election.
Second, the July 9 political development had no major bearing on the government of the day, as the move had only reduced the tally of the Congress in the Assembly, strengthening the ruling dispensation.
Six months down the line, CAA along with NPR may bring the three Salcete MLAs face to face with the constituents.
With the anti-CAA stir in Goa spearheaded by the CSJP and the Fatorda anti-CAA rally virtually issuing an ultimatum to the government not to implement the amendment to the Act, the Goa government’s resolution in support of the CAA may indeed bring Filipe, Wilfred and Clafacio face to face with the anti-CAA protestors and their electorate.
Priests and nuns from Salcete countryside have been the prominent faces attending the anti-CAA rallies. How the three Salcete MLAs will handle the emerging situation remains unclear.
Observers say the fact that the BJP-government headed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant adopted a pro-active stand in support of CAA when the anti-CAA groups were demanding exactly the opposite “ to adopt a resolution demanding the central government roll back the CAA “ may not go down with the people.
Says political commentator, Adv Cleofato Coutinho, “Certainly, the three Congress-turned-BJP MLAs will feel the heat if the anti-CAA stir gains further momentum. As it is, anti-BJP sentiment runs high in Salcete and the three MLAs, more so Filipe Neri and Wilfred D’Sa may feel the heat.”
Coutinho pointed out that both Filipe Neri and his Nuvem counterpart Wilfred, may have preferred not to speak on the motion in the House, indicating the duo may have different plans, including contesting the next election as Independents.
“Clafacio Dias may be playing a different ball game with Cuncolim playing host to a substantial Hindu vote where the BJP had won in the 2012 election,” he said.
