Panaji, April 17 (IANS) Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao on Monday said that the silence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the Mhadei issue during a public meeting in Goa, confirms that the double engine governments have allowed the diversion of the Mhadei water to Karnataka to satisfy the thirst of farmers.
Addressing a press conference, Alemao hit out at the BJP governments for compromising Goa’s interest to garner votes in Karnataka.
Congress leader Yuri Alemao said that Goa has been betrayed by the ‘Bhrasht Jumla Party’ on the Mhadei issue and they have already diverted the water.
“Amit Shah while campaigning in Karnataka was specific to reveal that he has already given the water to Karnataka. Now his silence in Goa has confirmed that he stands with his statements made in Karnataka,” Alemao said.
In January, during a rally in Karnataka’s Belagavi, Amit Shah had said: “Today, I am here to tell you that the BJP at the Centre has resolved the long dispute between Goa and Karnataka over Mhadei and allowed the diversion of Mhadei water to Karnataka to satisfy the thirst of the farmers of many districts.”
“Though Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and other BJP MLAs were present at the meeting, they had no courage to question Amit Shah over Mhadei,” he said.
Alemao said that the BJP has used Mhadei as a political weapon and has hoodwinked the people.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar said that the people of Goa were eager to hear a clarification from Amit Shah. “But he along with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant failed to do so. They did not even mention the issue of Mhadei during the entire public meeting,” Patkar said.
“I think the BJP stands exposed at the public meeting. Both engines have failed. I condemned the act of detaining our workers. For a healthy democracy an opposition should be there, but the BJP is trying to destroy it,” he said.
–IANS
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