PRESS RELEASE

17th November 2018

Statement Issued by Randeep Singh Surjewala, In-Charge, Communications, AICC; Girish Chodankar, PCC President; Chandrakant Kavlekar, CLP Leader; Ramakant Khalap, Ex Union Law Minister; Shri Pranav Jha, Secy, AICC

‘Clamour for Power’ characterizes ‘Complete Breakdown of Constitution & Democracy’ in !

‘Paralyzed Governance’, ‘Crippled Administration’, ‘Collapse of Authority’ = Chaos!

3C’s- ‘Corrupt, Callous & Conspiring’ BJP clings to power illegally in Goa !

Last month, Congress President, Shri Rahul Gandhi inquired about the health of Goa Chief Minister, Shri , who has been ailing since 10 months now. The Congress party wishes Shri Manohar Parrikar a speedy recovery and a long life. Truth, however, is that sheer greed for power by BJP’s shenanigans has plunged the state into a deep dingy abyss- where after Democracy; Governance has also become the final casualty. On account of incapacity of the Chief Minister owing to illness, ‘power brokers’ are running amok plundering the state’s resources and holding Democracy to ransom.

In an unprecedented and disturbing move, the BJP, which usurped power in Goa through backdoor, conducted a Meeting with Goa Cabinet Ministers at AIIMS, Delhi on 12th October, 2018. This has never happened before.

On 31st October 2018, Official Twitter handle of @GoaCM posted a disturbing picture of a frail and visibly emaciated Goa CM, Shri Parrikar chairing a Cabinet Meeting (Annexure A1). People of Goa in particular, as also elsewhere, were deeply concerned by the visual. It reflects that Shri Parrikar needs emergent medical attention, instead of BJP attempting a grandstanding about his health to somehow latch on to power.

All this while, key contentious issues like Mining, Regional Plan, Unemployment, Formalin, CRZ, Governance, Taxi, TDR etc are being allowed to linger on without providing any kind of relief to the affected people of Goa. The mess created by the BJP by stoppage of mining, closure of businesses of small traders and mismanagement of sand mining, has affected the entire State.

Goa is suffering from a complete breakdown of Constitutional Machinery. Democracy has become defunct and people’s mandate has been stolen by BJP’s National leadership, particularly PM, Shri . Even as the state BJP President, Shri Vinay Tendulkar himself accepted that BJP Government has lost majority, BJP President, Shri ruled out a change of guard in Goa on September 23, thus betraying and backstabbing the people of Goa.

PARALYSED GOVERNANCE, CRIPPLED ADMINSTRATION = BJP INFLICTED CRISIS!

1. Why isn’t a single health bulletin being issued on the medical condition of CM by the doctors? 2. If CM is fine, as per press statements, why is he refusing to meet even the Leader of Opposition and MLAs of the Oppostion and interact with them – is he not the CM of the State?

3. Constitution is being held captive by BJP’s lust for power. Formation of a ‘Cabinet Advisory Committee’ by the BJP is a blatant fraud on the Constitution itself. It negates the Constitutionally conferred powers of the ‘State Cabinet’ under Article 163, 164, 166 of the Constitution of .

4. Statements of Cabinet Ministers, Govt allies & BJP leaders evidence complete disintegration of Rule of Law, Collapse of Authority, Paralysis of Governance & Crippling of Administration. Shri Narendra Modi & Shri Amit Shah are squarely responsible for this mess. a. On Oct 5, 2018, BJP MLA and Deputy Speaker, Michael Lobo conceded that the state administration has "totally collapsed" because of the absence of ailing CM Shri Manohar Parrikar. Shri Lobo further said the “BJP Members of Parliament from Goa have no right to contest the next elections if they can't solve the problems being faced by the people dependent on mining activities”. b. The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), which is in alliance with the ruling BJP in Goa, has already said that it was “high time” that CM Parrikar handed over the charge to the senior-most Minister in his absence. c. NCP, whose lone MLA supported the Parrikar Government, has also now asked Shri Parrikar to step down. d. If two Ministers, Shri Francis D'Souza and Shri Pandurang Madkaikar have been dropped by the BJP leadership, on grounds of their failing health, why is BJP leadership forcing Shri Manohar Parrikar to remain in office, instead of being able to get the necessary medical attention and treatment that he deserves?

5. How can files be approved in name of CM without his signature? This is totally illegal. Even the dates on the files are doubtful and raise suspicion.

6. The very fact that Shri Manohar Parrikar is not being permitted to meet Leader of Opposition & other MLA’s raises a deep suspicion about the conspiracies in the corridors of power being hatched by the BJP leadership of the state and the Centre.

7. All issues of public welfare remain in a state of flux. No policy decision is being taken or implemented. Chaos, Confusion & Corruption has become a deep rooted malady as semblance of administration has crumbled totally.

QUESTIONS & DEMANDS

Constitutional morality is the first casualty in the scheme of things run by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and BJP President, Shri Amit Shah. On behalf of Goans, we demand:-

1. A special session of the Goa Assembly should be immediately convened asking the BJP Govt to prove its majority and lay down a roadmap for Governance and Administration as also for settlement of issues of Regional Plan, Mining, PRZ, Unemployment etc. This will clear all doubts about who is in-charge in Goa and the floor test will determine as to which party has the rightful claim to head a democratic Government in people’s interest.

2. Our good wishes remain with Shri Manohar Parrikar for a speedy recovery and a long life. But his deteriorating health can neither be a justification for unelected shenanigans of the BJP to usurp power through back door, nor eclipse the aspirations of people of Goa. People of Goa want governance, administration and progress. In the past 10 months, BJP has betrayed them by its corrupt, callous & conspiratorial chess games to usurp and retain power at any cost.