SHOAIB SHAIKH | NT
Staff Reporter
PANAJI
Recalling that Goa got statehood under the Congress regime, Dr Chella Kumar, All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary looking after the Goa desk, said, “We will ensure that the state achieves special status.”
Speaking exclusively to this daily, Kumar said that the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar’s statement that special status is a mirage is a great insult to the people of Goa. “Narendra Modi had also given an assurance… The Chief Minister has backstabbed the people of Goa and we shall expose the BJP’s false promises,” he stated.
Recalling that the statehood to Goa was made possible under the Congress regime, Kumar said, “Congress will not make false promises. Whatever we have committed, we have delivered. Congress party gave statehood, neither BJP nor anybody else. And when voted to power, we will fight and get the special status for Goa.”
On the question of alliance, he said that the state of Goa has only three political parties, Congress, BJP and MGP and rest are only individuals. “The BJP and MGP are already in alliance, with whom do we form an alliance. And when the block Congress committees have decided against the alliance, that itself shows that we are strong enough to fight against the BJP coalition,” he added.
However, further responding to “contradictory” statements from general secretary of AICC Digvijay Singh, he said that the party follows a process within the organisation for consultation on issues. “The first step is the block committees, then the Pradesh committee and finally the decision will be taken by the Congress working committee. Digvijayji has only informed that and therefore there should be no confusion. Though the decision is taken by the party’s highest body, the CWC, the opinions of the lowest level are taken first,” he responded.
When asked about the voices of dissent from the Congressmen, Kumar said that the party has provided every cadre of the party freedom to speak and criticise. “We are the only party which believes in democracy, where anybody can state their views but ultimately the leader of the party takes a decision and everyone follows. It is part of our internal democracy,” he stated.
Clarifying that the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Luizinho Faleiro and Singh are on the same page, he said that both the leaders have expressed the same opinion but from different positions and levels. “PCC president said that Goa should not become a sin city and the general secretary said that Goa should not be turned into Macau. What is the confusion then,” he said.
Stating that all the regional political outfits are not parties but individuals, the AICC secretary said that those who have been criticising the high command position of the Congress are eager to become the high command and therefore have mushroomed with political outfits.
Kumar, who is also responsible for strengthening the organisation structure in the state, said that the strength of the party cannot be measured sitting in Panaji. Referring to his recent visit to Mapusa, he said, “I am very confident that Congress will win the Mapusa constituency in the forthcoming elections. People of Mapusa have been waiting for a candidate who can save them from the threatening politics of the Deputy Chief Minister for years.”
He further said that the party workers are jubilant and the strength of the party is growing. “When we started we had a few people but today we have thousands following the party. Today in every constituency there are three to five new and young faces who are aspirants for candidature, that itself speaks about the strengthening of the party,” he added.
Taking a dig at the former chief minister and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, he said that the people of the state are no more under the fear and threat politics of Parrikar. “While people have been asking our Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Raneji to become more aggressive, we should realise that there is a vast difference between Rane and Parrikar. While Rane is a statesman, Parrikar is a liar. Parrikar made promises and has not delivered on even one of them and Rane does not make false promises”, he stated.