from Sanjay Borkar
Daijiworld Media Network - Margao (SP)

Margao April 18: A huge crowd turned out at the Bhartiya Janta Party’s election meeting held at Pulwado Banaulim near here on Friday, April 17. Although it is a Catholic-dominated area, surprisingly around 800 odd people present here patiently heard all the speakers and extended their support to them.

Leader of the opposition in the state assembly Manohar Parrikar, candidate Narendra Sawaikar, MLAs Vijay Pai Khot, Mahadev Naik, Francisco D’souza, apart from Sidhnatah Buyao, Tiatrist Milgres de Chandor, Conciecao Dias and other BJP leaders were present on the dais.

MLA Mahadev Naik, while speaking on the occasion said, “Manohar Parrikar did work very well for the state during his chief ministerial regime. Officers used to be wary and respectful about Parrikar, as he used to pay surprise visits, for curbing corruption and hence, people used to get good service at that time. But now, under the Congress rule, nobody is bothered about anyone else. Because of this situation, we saw the aftermath of sword case at Motidongor- Margao’’.

Naik lamented the fact that the number of students failing in the SSC exam has mounted to 30,000 and criticized the present government for doing nothing, other than using the services of these boys for their selfish interests and at the time of elections, for rallies.

What is the government doing to reduce the fail percentage? he questioned.

Naik assured the people, that once the BJP government is formed at the centre, very soon Parrikar will become the Chief Minister of Goa, to serve the people better. If people want Parrikar as the CM, they should back the BJP now, he requested.

Naik alleged that the Congress Party has failed in every conceivable field.

Tiatrist Milagres de Chandor said that he was with the Congress since his childhood, but came to know later about the way the Congress exploits and misuses people for its own interests. He further said, “We become happy if ministers shake hands with us or if they pat us. But it is of no use. They in fact, use us for their ends.  Congressmen do everything for their own families, not for us. If we allow the Congress to rule us for  five more years,  we will become strangers in our own state,” he warned. Informing the people that the crime ratio in the state has gone up in the Congress regime, he said the Congress Party will ruin Goa if they get five more years to run the government here.

He appealed to the people to allow the BJP to rule the state for five years and asked them not to vote for the BJP thereafter, if it does just like the Congress. “But I have full faith in this party that they will turn Goa a model state,” he added.

He also said that the Congress is trying to lure coastal people with the bill of Bull fights, but people should not succumb to these techniques, he advised.

Christians everywhere are hobnobbing with the BJP. The picture has changed, and because of this reason, the Congress is worried and trying to lure people by making different promises which will never be realized, he cautioned.

Parrikar in his speech ridiculed the Congress rule, saying that inflation has gone so high that sugar has become bitter and onions make people cry when they go to buy it. At this time, people applauded, giving their nod about the correctness of this comment.

While touching the past bitter days, he said that his government was illegally removed.

“In 51 months, we built 14 bridges, but the congress government took decades to build the poles for this bridge,” he said while narrating to people how his government worked speedily to achieve faster development.

He alleged that Congress government is only making scams out of regional plans, SEZs, illegal mining, casinos and other matters.

Whenever the election approaches, the Congress tries to instill fear in the minds of the people by saying that BJP is communal, which is not true. The BJP government never discriminated against anyone, Parrikar claimed.

He also alleged that the government was involved in a scandal relating to the distribution of the TV sets and setup boxes to panchayats, as they charged around Rs 5500 rupees as freight, which should be much less and this, he said, has found a mention in the comptroller’s audit report.

As the Congress is luring people with Bull fights rings, he taunted that these rings he (Sardin) must be erecting for his colleagues, who are fighting every passing day for ministerial berths or for any other favours.

Referring to the rally of Sonia Gandhi held in Margao, in which Congress Candidate Fransisco Sardin was given a seat below the dais, he wondered what the MP who doesn’t have the respect in his own political party, can achieve by getting elected.

He also alleged that Congress ministers had rigged holes to the state exchequer and had connected pipes direct to their homes. “As soon as I rose to the position of the chief minister, I had disconnected these illegal things,” he claimed, saying that the holes have appeared again since the Congress came back to power.

Parrikar assured the people, that if the BJP wins both the seats in the Lok sabha election, then the BJP will form the government in Goa within 15 days.

Finally he urged people to pinch the nose of Congress so that the hidden wealth their leaders have amassed through corruption, is brought out

Narendra Sawaikar expressed the opinion,  that a time has come to change the government and asked the people to vote by hearing their conscience this time, to make Parrikar the next chief Minister of Goa.

Conceio Dias and others also spoke on the occasion. Nilesh Prabhudesai compered the programme and proposed vote of thanks.