Panaji, Jun 21 (IANS): Congress leader Girish Chodankar on Wednesday dared Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to ask the Maharashtra government to permanently stop work of the Virdi Dam if he was concerned about the water issue of Goa.

Ridiculing the statement of Goa and Maharashtra Chief Ministers over the Mhadei issue to fight it together against Karnataka, Chodankar said that the BJP was trying to hoodwink people.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde recently, in presence of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, said that Maharashtra and Goa will fight the Mhadei issue together against Karnataka.

"Goa and Maharashtra are brothers and there are no disputes within. We are going to fight together against Karnataka," Shinde said.

This statement was welcomed by Sawant saying, "It will benefit Goa in a big way, if we both are together."

Attacking Pramod Sawant over the statement, former Congress secretary Chodankar said that the triple engine government of BJP has been exposed over this act now.

"Who had stopped Pramod Sawant and Eknath Shinde to make such statements and act against Karnataka when there was a BJP government in Centre, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa. Now it is evident that both are dancing to the tunes of Centre and making statements to attain political dividend after BJP lost miserably in Karnataka," Chodankar said.

"It is very much clear that both the Chief Ministers of Goa and Maharashrtra have joined hands over the Mhadei issue as now Congress is ruling in Karnataka," he said.

"If Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is really concerned about the water shortage issue of Goa, then he should warn Eknath Shinde not to do construction activities at Virdi dam," Chodankar said.

Earlier in April, the Maharashtra government had moved its machinery to begin work on the Virdi dam to construct the dam across the Valvanti River via its Kattika tributary in Virdi, located along the Goa-Maharashtra border.

"Does Pramod Sawant have the audacity to speak to his bosses at the Centre and intervene in matters to stop Maharashtra from diverting water," he questioned.