MARGAO
Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai on Wednesday pointed accusing fingers at the Congress party for the statement made by BJP State President Damu Naik that any alliance between the BJP and Goa Forward would depend on the prevailing political situation.
Firmly ruling out the possibility of an alliance with the BJP, Sardesai asserted that a regional party which has been vocal in its criticism of the ruling dispensation for the last five years will never have a tie-up with the BJP.
“I am not surprised by Damu Naik’s statement since it is part of a narrative set by the Congress. Damu’s statement is intended to benefit the Congress and provide ammunition to the principal opposition party to attack me and my regional party as the B team of the BJP. People of Goa are not fools. Fatordekars in particular will not fall prey to such tactics resorted to by the BJP and Congress party,” he said.
Sardesai said the BJP-Goa Forward tie-up statement came from the BJP President, a day after he gave no guarantee that his regional party would be part of an alliance with the Congress.
Saying he is not afraid of the BJP State President or the Congress party, Sardesai reminded that he had scored a hat-trick by winning the Fatorda seat against Damu Naik three times in a row. “If Damu or the Congress leaders think that such cheap statements would rattle me, I am ready to take them head-on,” he added.
Referring to Damu’s statement that Sardesai should get the Madel fields back for the farmers, the Goa Forward Chief said the fields were acquired during the tenure of then Urban Development Minister Digambar Kamat when Damu Naik was the Fatorda MLA.
“I have no capacity to get the fields returned to the farmers now, since I am in the opposition. But Damu is not just part of the ruling dispensation, but also occupies the powerful post of BJP State President. I would be grateful if Damu sends a letter to the Chief Minister to return the fields to the farmers. Otherwise, he should quit the post and join the people of Fatorda and me in an agitation to force the government to return the fields to the farmers,” he challenged.
