Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao on Tuesday asserted that he has “no linen to wash in public” and called for unity among opposition MLAs to hold the BJP government accountable during the upcoming assembly session.
Speaking to the media after a strategy meeting of Opposition legislators, Alemao said, “Goa and Goans are watching us and will scrutinize our actions. I have no personal agenda; I am straight and clean. Leaving aside political differences, we need to come together and continue this formula to expose the BJP.”
The meeting was attended by Congress MLAs Carlos Ferreira and Altone D’Costa, as well as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva. The MLAs deliberated on issues to be raised through Zero Hour mentions, Calling Attention motions, Private Members’ Resolutions, and Question Hour.
Alemao revealed that Congress MLAs had submitted over 750 Legislative Assembly Questions (LAQs), with AAP legislators also contributing significantly to the effort. He alleged that the BJP government was attempting to stifle the opposition by manipulating the assembly’s business schedule.
Citing a specific instance, Alemao claimed that a starred LAQ on Green Cess was deliberately downgraded to an unstarred one by transferring it to another department. “This was done to hide a major scam. The government is afraid of facing the opposition,” he alleged.
AAP MLA Venzy Viegas said that the meeting was convened in line with previous legislative conventions and was aimed at ensuring coordination among opposition ranks. “If Goa is our priority, then we must stand together. The meeting was fruitful and reflects our commitment to question the government constructively,” he said.
Congress MLA Carlos Ferreira stressed that the opposition must be given sufficient time during the session to raise public issues. “This is just the beginning of our strategy. We will continue to meet and plan. We seek the people’s support in raising their concerns effectively,” he added.
The monsoon session of the Goa Legislative Assembly is scheduled to begin later this week.
