Rahul may meet mining dependants during Goa visit tomorrow

PANAJI: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar on Wednesday said that All India Congress Committee president Rahul Gandhi may meet representatives of mining dependants during his visit to Goa on Friday (March 8).

Gandhi may also interact with prominent activists of the state, particularly the ones who are fighting against coal pollution in Vasco-Mormugao area and also against the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification-2018.

Chodankar said that the national Congress president will address a booth workers’ convention ‘Jeet ki Aur’ (Towards Victory) of the party on Friday evening at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee indoor stadium in Taleigao. Gandhi is also scheduled to hold a closed-door meeting with the Congress Legislature Party on late Friday evening.

“The visit of our national party president will boost the morale of the party and motivate our party workers. We are all set for Lok Sabha elections and we are confident about winning both the seats and also the by-elections to three constituencies,” said Chodankar while addressing a press conference in Panaji.

Meanwhile, Chodankar said that the Supreme Court should take cognisance of the leaked Rafale audio tape in order to trace the secret files related to Rafale jet deal.

“The central government has told the court that secret Rafale files were stolen from the Defence Ministry. What they (government) is saying in SC, it looks like there is a link to Goa and that audio that the (Rafale) files are really here so I think SC should take the matter seriously,” he said.

“Former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said about audio that it is tampered with but never claimed that files are not with him. Hence, the top court should take cognisance and order necessary direction to trace the file,” he added.