Goa Forward Party withdraws from BJP-led NDA
Panaji, Apr 13: The Goa Forward Party walked out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Tuesday, citing "anti-Goan policies" of the BJP-led state government.
However, the move of the GFP, which has 3 MLAs in the 40-member Goa House, will not have any impact on the stability of the Pramod Sawant government in the state since the Vijai Sardesai-led party is not a ruling constituent.
The GFP extended support to the NDA in 2017 to facilitate the formation of the then BJP-led state government under the leadership of Manohar Parrikar.
After Parrikar's death in 2019, the alliance soured when three GFP ministers were dropped from the Pramod Sawant- led government.
The GFP's state executive committee and political affairs committee met in Panaji on Tuesday.
Later, GFP president Vijai Sardesai, in a formal letter to senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, conveyed the party's decision to withdraw from the NDA.
"I write to you today formally declaring the Goa Forward Party's withdrawal from the National Democratic Alliance. There is no doubt that our relationship with the NDA ended in July 2019, with no room for reconsideration," Sardesai said in the letter.
He claimed that in the last two years, the BJP has repeatedly introduced "anti-Goan policies" in every session of the state Legislative Assembly.
Since July 2019, the BJP's Goa leadership has turned its back on the people of the state who looked ahead with hope to the prospect of all-round development, the GFP alleged.
Parrikar's death brought Goa to despair, ushering in a period of rampant corruption and dishonesty, it said.
The GFP has pointed out the state government's alleged failure in handling various issues, such as three linear projects, the Mahadayi river water dispute, and other matters.
The Sardesai-led party said it is fully committed to consistently and selflessly work to safeguard, protect and preserve Goa's culture, people and heritage.
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Conspiracy afoot to 'tarnish' image of Dharmasthala: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Aug 14 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said there was a “conspiracy” to tarnish the image of Dharmasthala.
His comments come amid an ongoing investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into serious allegations of mass burials in the revered temple town in Dakshina Kannada district.
“A conspiracy is being hatched to destroy hundreds of years of legacy. It is not correct to tarnish someone just like that. It has all happened due to one complainant,” he said.
Noting that some Congress MLAs have called for action against those involved in the slander campaign at the legislature party meeting, he said, “ I have told them that action must be taken against those who are indulging in a slander campaign. The CM has also said that action must be taken against such people.”
“I have information on this case. Religious feelings should not be hurt in any manner. Culprits must be punished,” he told reporters, according to a release from his office.
Responding to a question, Shivakumar said the Congress party will not allow the image of any religious place to be tarnished.
“We see everyone equally when it comes to religion,” he added.
The SIT, formed by the state government, is probing claims of mass murder, rape, and mass burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.
The complainant, a former sanitation worker whose identity has not been revealed, alleged that between 1995 and 2014 he was forced to handle bodies—including women and minors—and that some showed signs of sexual assault. He has given a statement before a magistrate.
As part of the probe, the SIT has been conducting exhumations at multiple locations identified by the complainant-witness in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, where some skeletal remains have been found at two sites so far.
