Panaji: Condemning Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that the Mhadei water dispute has been resolved by the BJP government in the Centre after consultation with Goa government, Goa TMC Joint Convenors Mariano Rodrigues and Samil Volvaiker, along with Goa TMC General Secretary Rakhi Prabhudessai Naik, demanded Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to either take a stand against the statement or resign immediately during a press conference at the party office.
Launching a scathing attack against Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for maintaining silence on Shah’s remarks, Goa TMC Joint Convenor Samil Volvaiker said, ‘The BJP government both at the centre and state have sold off mother Mhadei, our lifeline, to win the upcoming Karnataka elections.’ He further stressed, ‘Our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has neglected the Mhadei issue. In yesterday’s Man Ki Baat, PM congratulated Goa for hosting the Purple festival successfully but didn’t utter a single word on Mhadei.’
Demanding clarity on the part of the BJP-led government, Goa TMC General Secretary Rakhi Prabhudessai Naik said, ‘Amit Shah stated that it was with the Goa government’s ‘help’ that the decision to divert the Mhadei River was taken. The CM must reveal what the ‘help’ was. The BJP government must clarify who is lying, whether it is the Chief Minister or the Union Home Minister. Both at the centre and state level, the BJP has deceived the people of Goa repeatedly.’ She further asserted, ‘On one hand, the Chief Minister vows to protect the Mhadei River, and on the other, it sells it off to further the BJP’s political agenda. It is time for everyone to unite and fight against the draconian rule of the BJP government in the state. We have ousted the colonial rulers; we can do it again to protect our rights and environment. The CM is selling off our natural resources for his vested interests.’
Highlighting the party’s commitment to fight for the cause of Mhadei, Goa TMC Joint Convenor Mariano Rodrigues said, ‘TMC is the first party to hit the streets and the only party to have raised the Mhadei issue in Parliament three times.” He further added, ‘We will continue to raise the issue in Parliament till justice is delivered. The BJP government should not take Goans for granted, we are ready to go to any extent to save our lifeline-Mhadei. We must unite as Goans and send a message to the BJP government that we will not be sidelined.’
