Union Home Minister addresses rally in Farmagudi, skirts around Mhadei water dispute
Ponda: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday exhorted the people of Goa to make the BJP victorious in both Lok Sabha seats at the 2024 parliamentary elections.
Addressing a largely-attended public meeting in Farmagudi in Ponda taluka with focus on winning the South Goa parliamentary constituency, Shah said, “I am here to request the people of Goa that we don’t want half-Goa. We want the entire state to support the BJP for victory in both seats (during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls), which will strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership
in the country.”
The meeting, which was held amid tight security, was attended by over 15,000 people at the GEC Ground.
Union minister and North Goa MP Shripad Naik, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, state legislative assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar, state BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade, cabinet ministers, party MLAs and others were present on the dais.
Shah avoided speaking on the Mhadei water dispute. The Union minister had said in the neighbouring state that the Modi government resolved the dispute between Goa and Karnataka by giving proper share of the Mhadei water to Karnataka thus benefiting farmers from several districts of that state.
Praising Sawant for bringing about political stability, Shah claimed that Goa has got a stable government after many years under the leadership of Sawant.
The Union minister also praised the Chief Minister for reaching out to the last possible person under the concept of ‘Antyodaya Tatwa’.
Shah remarked that the BJP rules over some 15 states but no other Chief Minister has achieved the milestone that Sawant has accomplished – taking government schemes to the doorstep of the people.
He also appreciated `27,000 crore worth state budget, which has promised all-round development.
Speaking on the resumption of iron ore mining in the state, the Union Home Minister said that major roadblocks have been cleared by the Centre for resuming mining operations, which will begin soon.
He underscored the importance given to Goa by the Modi government, although Goa is a small state.
The yearly fund allocation for Goa has been increased to over `3,000 crore by the Modi government, from mere `300 crore during the UPA regime, he maintained.
He exhorted Goans to vote for the BJP and give yet another chance to Modi to be the Prime Minister.
He took potshots at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his rallies addressed in several states.
Despite the Gandhi’s rallies, the BJP won three states in the North-East.
He also expressed confidence of getting a thumping majority in the Karnataka assembly elections.
Speaking on the occasion, Sawant thanked the Centre for giving importance to Goa, adding that the state is proud to host G20 meetings under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
He praised Shah for including Konkani as a medium for answering the examination of the Central Armed Police Forces.
The Chief Minister assured the Union minister that the BJP would emerge victorious in both LS seats in Goa.
“With a double-engine government of the BJP in the state and at the Centre, Goa is developing at a speedy rate. This has been possible only because of the central BJP,” Sawant emphasised.