PANAJI
Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday rejected the Valpoi MLA's statement demanding cancellation of the IIT project in his constituency as a political gimmick and said unless Chief Minister Pramod Sawant issues a notification or takes a cabinet decision to this effect, they will continue to oppose the proposed IIT at Melauli.
Briefing media persons AAP spokesperson Adv Surel Tilve pointed out that the same MLA had earlier asserted that he would establish the IIT at Melauli come what may.
“However now that his political future is under threat, he has taken a U-turn which is a speciality of the present government,” he said.
While terming the Valpoi MLA's statement as an eyewash, he said the people of Melauli who have been agitating for so long will not get fooled by it and will teach him a lesson at the next elections. “The people are fighting for their right and AAP is with them in their struggle,” he said.
Adv Surel pointed out that the Chief Minister and Health Minister have always been speaking different languages and said that even in the battle against Covid the Health Minister would say something contrary to what the Chief Minister had said.
“We would like to know how and why it took such a long time for the Health Minister to realize the wish of his constituents as these were the very people who voted for him,” he said and pointed out that ownership of land is a real issue in Sattari and people should visit to understand what happens when the land is not in your name.
He pointed out that though Goa has a Land to the Tiller Act in force in Sattari the land is not transferred to the tillers and it appears that the government is the owner of the land that is being tilled by the people. “How did government become 'Bhaatkars' (landowners) and is the government following feudalism in Sattari?” he asked.
He said neither the Valpoi MLA nor his father Pratapsingh Rane who represented the area earlier ever bothered to settle the land ownership issue.
“Where was the Valpoi MLA when PI Ekoskar stamped on the chest of his female voter? Where was he when tear gas was released on his voters? Where was he when his voters were lathi-charged?” asked Surel while challenging him to come to Melauli and agitate with the villagers if he truly supported their cause.
