PARRIKAR APPEALS GOANS TO SUPPORT THE BANDH IN FAVOUR OF BBSM

PANJIM: Stating that the overwhelming support being gathered by the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch for its June 6 Goa bandh to protest against the government decision of providing grants to the English-medium primary schools is making the government jittery, the leader of the opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar on Sunday appealed to the people to participate in large numbers in the bandh and also connect the ‘corruption in government’ issue as raised by Baba Ramdev to the bandh.

Addressing a press conference at the city BJP headquarters, on the eve of the bandh, the opposition leader said the bandh would be peaceful and not force anyone to participate in the same. “However, the voluntary support of the public to the bandh could have made the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat to go for preventive detention of BBSM activists,” he added, challenging the government to arrest him, as he himself is supporting the bandh and also requesting the people to participate in the same.

Mr Parrikar said that a special session of the state legislative assembly should be convened this month or in July to decide on the medium of instruction issue as well as the enactment of the Lokayukta legislation.

“The legislative wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, during its June 10 meeting will pass a resolution in this context and present its copy to the Governor, Dr S S Sidhu; the Speaker, Mr Pratapsingh Rane; and Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat,” he added.

“The session is very much necessary as the government had taken the House for a ride during its recent budget session by assuring that status quo would be maintained on the MoI issue,” Mr Parrikar stated, further observing that the passing of state Lokayukta bill is also important.

“The Chief Minister however, is delaying the enactment of the particular legislation because the Lokayukta can expose many of the state cabinet ministers on the issue of corruption including the Chief Minister himself,” he noted.

“In fact, the Congress governments -- in Goa as well as at the Centre -- have achieved their victories at the election by using money gathered through corruption,” the opposition leader alleged, charging that the midnight suppression of the peaceful indefinite fast by Ramdev Baba at New Delhi had been undertaken as a coterie of senior Union ministers of Congress like Home Minister, Mr P Chidambaram and Mr Kapil Sibal have themselves been involved in massive corruption.

“This suppression reminds one of the 1975 Emergency imposed on the country by the then Congress government,” he mentioned.

Replying to a question, Mr Parrikar said that the police investigation was inadequate in the May 25 incidents of violence at Balli. “The police will soon face music from the National Human Rights Commission and Central Tribal Commission,” he added, pointing out that in spite of the restrictive terms of reference in the magisterial inquiry, the magistrate has observed that all acts of violence at Balli had taken place in the very presence of police.