MARGAO
Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat has said that entire Goa will gather at Shel-Melauli if the BJP government continues with police dadagiri against the people.
Saying the brutal lathi-charge and use of tear gas on the protesting villagers of Shel-Melauli is highly condemnable, Kamat said the government cannot force any project on the people against their wishes. “Entire Goa will gather at Shel-Melauli if the BJP government continues with Police dadagiri against the villagers,” he warned.
Kamat said it is unfortunate that the Police resorted to lathi-charge and tear gas even on the elderly ladies who have shown the courage to oppose the IIT Project at Shel Melavali.
“The Chief Minister must immediately intervene and withdraw all the Police force from the village, failing which the government will be entirely responsible for any untoward incident happening in the village,” he said.
The Opposition leader said the residents of the village are fighting to protect their cultivable land and houses. “There are various other options of land available with the government. Every Government must respect the sentiments of the citizens. A responsible government always takes decisions going by the sentiments and demand of the people," he claimed.
Reminding the Chief Minister that the Congress government in the past faced various agitations and protest and changed or withdrew its own decisions to respect peoples demand, Kamat recalled that the Congress government had scrapped Regional Plan, SEZ’s completely bowing before the people.
“The BJP government must stop its dictatorial attitude and respect the demands of the villagers of Shel-Melauli,” he asserted.
The Opposition leader warned the Ggvernment to refrain from using force against the people of Goa, cautioning it will be difficult for the government to control the mass protest of Goans across the state if it does not act wisely.
