CM blasts opponents on ‘college politics’, dares an open debate
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 09 February 2016 12:28 IST
Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has dared his opponents to come for an open debate on the issue of not giving government grants to Mandrem College run by Ramakant Khalap, his political opponent.
“Let all the political opponents come together for a public debate. I will face them alone”, said Parsekar, while reacting to the morcha in his village held on Sunday.
Khalap, along with several other political leaders belonging to different political parties as well as locals, had led a morcha from Mandrem to CM’s Harmal village on the issue of denying grants to his three-year old college.
While reiterating that there is absolutely no politics behind not starting government grants to the college run by Khalap, he in fact alleged that his opponents are making it an election issue.
“They want me to send home on this issue. Rather I would request them to introspect why they were sent home by the voters of Mandrem repeatedly”, said the three-time Mandrem MLA.
After facing a defeat in 1999 election from six-time MLA Khalap, Parsekar made a debut in the Assembly in 2002 by defeating the then MGP leader.
In fact Khalap did not contest 2012 election after facing two consecutive defeats from Parsekar.
Sangeeta Parab, who also did not contest last election after facing three consecutive defeats from Khalap and Parsekar since 1999, was also on the forefront of the morcha.
“She should first get her sister-in-law and daughter-in-law for the morcha and then talk about getting women force on the roads. Please count and tell me how many women she brought for the morcha”, Parsekar told the local media.
In fact the morcha also included Dayanand Sopte who lost election to Parsekar, Babu Azgaokar who lost to Pernem MLA and minister Rajendra Arlekar and Pratap Gawas who lost to Sankhli MLA Pramod Sawant, all in 2012 election.
Parsekar also asked Khalap why he did not succeed in getting all the students and parents of his own college for the morcha.
“He will witness the repercussion of this political game on the admission roll of his college next year”, warned Parsekar, who has set up a college in the same Mandrem village one year after Khalap started the college.
According to the teacher-turned-politician, the college run by his management is far better equipped than Khalap’s college and also the courses he offers do not clash with the courses in the neighbouring Government College, Pernem.
Parsekar was out of station when the locals of Mandrem constituency marched to his village.
“I did not run away. In fact they brought a morcha when I was out of station. I am still prepared to discuss the issue on a public forum”, claimed Parsekar, who is also Goa’s education minister.
Khalap, who runs several educational institutions from primary to higher secondary levels in Mandrem, alleges that he has been denied government grants in spite of having affiliation of Goa University and his first batch graduated after three years with 100% result.
The morcha had literally gathered all the political leaders belonging to all the political parties, except the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Parsekar.
