PANAJI
In a fresh round of sparring over the Mhadei water sharing row, the Opposition on Monday demanded that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant resign after a former Goa government counsel claimed he did not object to the notification of the Tribunal award in the Supreme Court because of express instructions from the State government.
Sawant however denied the former counsel's charge saying no such instructions were given to him by anyone in his government.
Latching on to senior counsel Arvind Datar's statement to Prudent TV late on Sunday night, Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat was quick to demand Sawant's resignation.
"Former Senior Counsel Adv Arvind Datar reveals that he did not object to notification of Mhadei Award before Supreme Court on clear instructions of Government of Goa. The betrayal by BJP of Mother Mhadei stands exposed. Congress Party demands Chief Minister of Goa must step down," said Kamat, late on Sunday night.
Goa Forward Party's Vijai Sardesai also tweeted: "RESIGN, @goacm! It's now clear that @GovtofGoa did not oppose the #MhadeiTribunal Award Notification because the lawyer was instructed not to. Who instructed him?@DrPramodPSawant or WRD minister Felipe Neri Rodrigues? Who betrayed mother #Madhei? #Goa wants to know ! Answer!"
Sawant meanwhile rejected the allegation saying no instructions were given to Datar by anybody from the Government to not oppose the notification of Mhadei award.
"Government instructions are always in writing," a statement issued by Sawant's office said, adding that Datar was dropped and Goa is being represented by former Additional Solicitor General of India, PS Narasimha.
Sawant said the issue of the Mhadei Tribunal award notification is in the public domain for more than a year and appealed to the Opposition to refrain from playing 'dirty politics' on the Mhadei issue.
Mhadei is a crucial river for Goa which originates in neighbouring Karnataka and flows into the Arabian Sea at Miramar, Panaji. It is also known as Mandovi in Goa and also briefly flows through Maharashtra.
It runs a 28.8 km course in Karnataka and flows through the width of North Goa for almost 50 kilometers. The dispute over sharing it's water with Karnataka is more than two decades old.
It however got acrimonious during the last decade and ended up before an Inter-State Water Dispute Tribunal which in 2018 passed an award granting 14-odd TMC to Karnataka.
Goa has already filed a contempt petition accusing Karnataka of already diverting the river's water even as it has also challenged the Tribunal Award through a special leave petition in the Apex Court.
