Midnight Assembly on 18 Dec runs into controversy
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 24 October 2011 23:38 IST
A midnight Assembly session on the eve of 50th year of Goa’s liberation, planned by the ruling Congress, has run into controversy.
Bharatiya Janata Party, the only opposition in the state Assembly, has decided to boycott the midnight session on 18 December – a historical event.
The reason is simple. The idea of midnight session has been publicly mooted by Congress high command observer Jagmeet Singh Brar.
The idea includes inviting Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi to address the session, while also inviting President of India Pratibha Patil and prime minister Manmohan Singh.
“Who is Brar to announce the session”, asks Manohar Parrikar, the opposition leader.
According to him, the Congress is trying to politicise the historical event as Assembly election is ahead.
Brar, at a press conference yesterday, had announced that the state government would request Assembly Speaker Pratapsing Rane to summon a special session to commemorate golden jubilee year of Goa's liberation from the Portuguese rule.
Brar said that though potential invitees had not been finalised, the possibility of having Rahul Gandhi, or the President Pratibha Patil or the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh present for the event was being explored.
"Rahul Gandhi was not even born when Goa was liberated. Congress thinks that Goa is its backyard," said BJP spokesman Govind Parvatkar.
The party would naturally oppose any proposal to have Gandhi address the assembly, he added.
The ruling Congress party has also planned an extensive programme to commemorate Golden Jubilee of Goa liberation, including a `padayatra' led by Chief Minister Digambar Kamat.
Brar said the party was even contemplating putting up a statue of Goan freedom fighter Purshottam Kakodkar (a former Goa Congress president) in the Parliament premises, as there was no statue of a Goan freedom fighter there.
Eduardo Faleiro, former union minister and NRI Commissioner of Goa, however feels nothing wrong in the Congress taking advantage of the event for election purpose.
“The Congress liberated Goa, and it was the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who convinced the dictatorial Portuguese regime to leave”, he said.
He has written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, requesting that a portrait of freedom fighter Dr T B Cunha be put up in the Parliament.
To Paganini , Old-Goa** well said.Goa is now "REMOTE CONTROLLED". Not worth calling it a Federal State of India.Better to call it an extended "colony" or Province of New Delhi or even a district.As a Goan, I guess Goa is now a "VADDO" of New Delhi.Goan Politicians are purely its PIMPS.
The celebration of Goa's first 50 years of freedom,would have been complete, if special status or 'separate entity' was granted to Goa, to tide over all the administering problems and running to the Centre with a bowl. We have enough brains here to decide, what is best for Goa. Every desk-in-charge who comes here, gives the impression that we have parallel government here. Do we need them, since they have not been elected by us ? If at all, they may only bring party decisions to the local branch.
Rather than planning such events---one could seriously think as to how much wealth the Centre is taking away from Goa and how much budgetary support it gives to Goa....
Goa should never be treated as another colony to extract wealth from here and leave many problems unattended...like the roads, the bridges, the power supply, the water supply, the employment opportunities, mining menace and providing alternative employment opportunities, entertainment parks, and so many priority works for which money is needed.....The common man doesnot want show...but active participation to improve....
The same party is the one functioning in Goa, freedom is received from foreign rule; but are the rights being used by Goans.