CM’S STAUNCH SUPPORT TO THE HOME MINISTER: CRITICIZES ALLEGATIONS

MARGAO: Defending the Home Minister, Mr Ravi Naik, the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat said that Mr Naik has been successful in maintaining law and order in the state and criticized those who had been making allegations against him.  Mr Kamat was speaking at the convention of the Congress party workers at Margao, on Sunday.  The Congress virtually rang the election bugle to herald the extended election campaign at the meeting.

Praising the government and its Chief Minister and criticizing its detractors and rubbishing allegations over law and order and the drugs issue, various Congress leaders gave clear indications that the party was gearing up to fight the elections under the present Chief Minister.

Another indicator at the meet was the beginning of an alliance between the Home Minister and the PWD Minister.  Also the concerted attack on the National Congress Party’s Mr Francisco Xavier Pacheco alias Mickky was a pointer to, where the South Congress leaders perceive their danger lies.

The Chief Minister warned the gathered Congress workers that in the run up to the elections they would be hearing a lot of allegations against various leaders, but asked them to ignore it.  Mr Kamat also asked the ‘bahujan samaj’ to support the embattled Home Minister, Mr Ravi Naik, citing his work for the community.

He also announced that the Centre has sanctioned 50 PCR vans to modernise the police.

The meeting was attended by all Congress heavyweights including the PWD Minister, Mr Churchill Alemao, the Home Minister, Mr Ravi Naik, the Urban Development Minister, Mr Joaquim Alemao, the Panchayat Minister, Mr Manohar ‘Babu’ Azgaokar, the MMC chairperson, Ms Susheela Naik, the Mahila Congress chief, Ms Monica Dias, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary, Mr Vijay Sardessai, councillors and workers and was almost like an election rally, with the Chief Minister being praised to high heaven for his governance and all opposition against him and his team being termed as motivated.

Stating that it is not possible for anybody to give too many tall stories without being found out, Mr Kamat argued that people wanted their works to be done.  He tore into the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party for its allegations against the government on various issues.

It may be recalled that the government has been under fire from the opposition as well as various civic groups on the law and order situation in the state – especially the drug scene in the state, and the temples desecration and the latest being the alleged custodial torture and subsequent death of an assault accused.

The PWD Minister told the Congress workers that the government under the present Chief Minister has done a lot for the common man and reminisced about the time how it was him that had tried to convince Mr Kamat to join the Congress many years back and this had led to the Congress getting a good Chief Minister.

"This Chief Minister is a good one. He does work and also allows his ministers a free hand," Mr Alemao said, expressing confidence that "this time the Congress would get 28 seats. Anything above that is a bonus."

Tongue in cheek he also said that an opposition was needed. He, however, gave a veiled warning at the fag end of his speech saying that Churchill "does not like to get hurt. And if I get hurt I get upset."

An important part of his speech was his defense of the embattled Home Minister, with Mr Naik, too following up on Mr Alemao’s speech and tearing into Mr Pacheco, stating that the person who calls Goa the rape capital of India "has so many cases against him." 

"If a minister, who is supposed to be one who upholds the law and order, raises his hand against a law enforcer, then what is left," he said.

Expressing his surprise that such a person can pass judgement against him, he defended himself against allegations of abetment on the drug issue, saying that on November 10 he had asked for the report on the drug case and said that the case should go to the CBI.

"These people are upset because their ‘hafta’ has been stopped. Now a lot of drugs are being seized. When did this ever happen before?," he asked and criticised the journalists, asking them why they do not talk about the time when drugs were not being seized.  He also asked them to write when they have evidence and just not to make allegations in the air.

Pointing out also to the MGP’s Dhavalikars he said that ‘neighbours’ are creating problems for them and trying to create rifts among them. He further said that it would be better if the Congress got a majority on its own.  The Panchayat Minister, Mr Manohar Azgaokar, who spoke earlier, also expressed confidence that the Congress is ready for the elections and pointed out that this government under the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat has brought in an international airport, sports city and made Margao the number one city in the state.

Mr Azgaokar also praised the Chief Minister for being concerned about the common people and said that he is one of the most accessible chief ministers ever.  The GPCC chief, Mr Subash Shirodkar too ended by saying that that the Congress has given the country and the state, the NREGA scheme, the right to education, and the right to food.  "The Congress has taken the country and the state to great heights and today we are proud to say I am Indian," he told the gathering.