NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The Congress party has stated that on being awarded the mandate in Goa to form the new government, the party will persuade and force the government of India to grant special status to the state under Article 371.
Addressing the media in Panaji, Congress senior leader and AICC in-charge for communications Randeep Singh Surjewala said, “We will persuade and force the government of India that special status for Goa, like Congress party has given to many states in India, is given.”
Stating that one of the reasons for the 2012 assembly election loss was not fulfilling the demand of special status, he said, “We lost power in 2012 and we have said that there have been gaps and we have corrected those gaps…What needs to be done for that, we will not shy away from doing so.”
Surjewala further said that the Congress party will ensure amendment of the Constitution and grant of special status. “We will also do simultaneously everything that is necessary until that is done by the parliament for everything that is necessary for preservation of the state,” he added. Responding to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s statement that Goa does not need special status, he said, “The two-faced character of the BJP is apparent from the statement, the double speak and deceit of the people of Goa.”
When reminded that the party does not enjoy majority in the Parliament, he said, “It is true that we do not have majority in the Lok Sabha but in Rajya Sabha along with the other opposition parties, we still have the majority.”
Taking a dig at Parrikar, Surjewala said, “Why is Parrikar not persuading Modi. He is the third most important minister in India. Why is he not telling the BJP to bring in that amendment and give Goa special status? We will now persuade and push them and make them bow down to the wishes of the people of Goa. In democracy, power doesn’t lie with numbers alone, power lies also in being right and following the correct path and in persuading the government to see reason.”
However, he said that while the state government continues to persuade the central government to amend the Constitution, the legislature of Goa is competent to enact a legislation, which will provide adequate protection to the original inhabitants of Goa in preservation of their land.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik said that Parrikar and Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar have committed a breach of privilege of Goa Assembly by going back on the contents of the resolution passed unanimously recommending special status to Goa.
He said, “Both, Parrikar and Parsekar are duty-bound to disclose the reasons behind the two leaders betraying Goans over the special status issue when the then chief minister had ridiculed the Congress over the issue by saying that he would get Goa special status which Congress could not give.”