PANAJI
Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat on Thursday pitched the legacy of Goa’s first Chief Minister late Dayanand Bandodkar to come down heavily on the Goa government’s controversial Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill 2021, accusing Chief Minister Pramod Sawant of trying to divide the State and destroying its legacy, identity and culture.
“Bhausaheb Bandodkar always nurtured Niz Goenkarponn. Today’s government is abusing popular feelings in the name of Bhumiputra. They are trying to instigate people to fight. They are trying to finish off Goa’s identity, culture and legacy,” Kamat told reporters after paying homage at Bandodkar’s samadhi on the occasion of the latter’s death anniversary.
Bhausaheb not just maintained Goa’s identity, but its culture too and worked for poor farmers so that they get good yield for which he started the Sanjeevani sugar mill. This government has shut down the mill,” Kamat said.
“Bhausaheb never tried to coerce the voice of the Bahujan Samaj into silence,” he said.
“Our first Chief Minister late Bhausaheb Bandodkar always had a vision for empowering Bahujan Samaj. It is the duty of every citizen to fight for the rights of Bahujan Samaj and Dalits. If demanding justice for them is a crime under the insensitive BJP government, I will do it again and again,” Kamat also said.
The Leader of Opposition also claimed that his Twitter handle was blocked on Thursday morning for merely retweeting a tweet by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. The tweet by the national Congress leader also featured a tweet in which Gandhi was seen consoling the parents of a 9-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and murdered and forcibly cremated in Delhi recently.
MGP should follow Bandodkar's footsteps: NCP
MAPUSA:
Pointing to several flip-flops done by the present leaders of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) in the State, NCP General Secretary, Sanjay Barde on Thursday said that the party founded by Goa’s first chief minister late Bhausaheb Bandodkar should follow the ideals of the tallest leader produced in the State.
“Late Bhausaheb Bandodkar led the way and showed how a government has to be run. No parallels can be drawn on the achievements of Goa’s first CM. However, the current leadership of MGP has failed to follow his footsteps and have aligned even with divisive forces to remain in power,” Barde said.
The NCP General Secretary was addressing a gathering while paying tributes to former CM Bhausaheb Bandodkar.
Several other leaders, Rama Kankonkar, Dipesh Naik, Wilbur Ticlo and others were also present.
Barde slammed the ruling ministers and MLAs for belatedly accepting the lacunas in the Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill.
“If the ruling MLAs had opposed the bill in the assembly we could have given credit to them. They are expressing views on the bill only after facing a huge backlash of Goans against the bill,” he said.
Rama Kankonkar, Wilbur Ticlo, Dipesh Naik and others also spoke on the occasion.
