Opposition MLAs boycott all-party meeting with CM

Panaji: The opposition boycotted the all-party meeting convened by chief minister Pramod Sawant to discuss the Centre’s move to approve Karnataka’s plans to divert water from the Mhadei river basin. The seven opposition MLAs justified their decision to stay away, saying that the state BJP government is conniving with the Centre and Karnataka to permit diversion of water.
The opposition also demanded that chief minister Pramod Sawant resign within a week if he cannot convince Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the approval granted to Karnataka’s detailed project report (DPR).
“We tell the chief minister that once you lead a delegation to the Prime Minister, within a week make sure that you ask him to withdraw the DPR failing which you should resign on moral grounds,” said Congress legislature party president Yuri Alemao. “Go meet the Prime Minister and explain to him the importance of this issue.”
Three Congress MLAs, two AAP MLAs and the lone MLAs from GFP and RG came together for the meeting and said that they did not want to be seen as accomplices of the BJP government.
AAP MLA Venzy Viegas said that with BJP heading the governments at the Centre, in Goa and in Karnataka, there is no need to bring in the opposition to resolve the issue.
“What is the use of so-called ‘double engine’ if the BJP government in Goa has to fight the BJP government at the Centre in court? Do they want the opposition to join them because they cannot get the Centre to withdraw the DPR?” said Viegas.
Alemao said the Goa government is hand in glove with the Karnataka government to enable the neighbouring state to divert water from the Kalasa-Bandura project.
Though the opposition boycotted the meeting, RG MLA Viresh Borkar metthe chief minister after the meeting and conveyed the opposition’s demands.