Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: Congress leader Girish Chodankar has ridiculed the statement of Goa and Maharashtra Chief Ministers over Mhadei issue to fight it together against Karnataka.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde recently, in presence of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, said that Maharashtra and Goa will fight the Mhadei issue together against Karnataka.
“Goa and Maharashtra are brothers and there are no disputes within. We are going to fight together against Karnataka.” Shinde said.
This statement was welcomed by Sawant saying “It will benefit Goa in a big way, if we both are together,”
Attacking Pramod Sawant over the statement, Chodankar said that the triple engine government of BJP has been exposed over this act now.
“Who had stopped Pramod Sawant and Eknath Shinde to make such statements and act against Karnataka when there was a BJP government in central, Karnataka, Maharashtra & Goa. Now it is evident that both are dancing on the tunes of centre and making statements to attain political dividend after BJP lost miserably in Karnataka,” Chodankar said.
“It is very much clear that both the Chief Ministers of Goa and Maharashrtra have joined hands over Mhadei issue as now Congress is ruling in Karnataka,” he said.
“If Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is really concerned about the water shortage issue of Goa, then he should warn Eknath Shinde not to do construction activities at Virdi dam,” he said.
Earlier in April, the Maharashtra government had moved its machinery to begin work on the Virdi dam to construct the dam across the Valvanti River via its Kattika tributary in Virdi, located along the Goa-Maharashtra border.
“Does Pramod Sawant have the audacity to speak to his bosses at centre and intervene in matters to stop Maharashtra from diverting water,” he questioned.
Chodankar said that Pramod Sawant has always hoodwinked people of Goa over the Mhadei issue and has remained silent over the statement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah who had stated that Karnataka will get water from Mhadei.
“Amit Shah had clearly said that the decision of providing Mhadei water was taken by taking Pramod Sawant in confidence. If he has not nodded then why is he not rejecting the claim by the former,” Chodankar questioned.
