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The unexpected silence of the BJP and its alleged inability to take on the ruling Digambar Kamat-led Government, which is reeling under a potential Rs 10,000 crore illegal mining scam, has compelled anti-mining activists in Goa to believe that both parties were in a complicit agreement as far as illegal mining is concerned.
Battle-hardened anti-mining activists, who had exposed several illegal mining incidents before the Justice MB Shah Commission, on Saturday said the State BJP leadership was working overtime to save the Congress Chief Minister, who shares a good rapport with the Opposition.
“Of course, when it comes to mining, every political party is together. This was the best chance for the BJP to make a political point against Congress and Kamat, who is responsible for illegal mining for nearly a decade now,” Floriano Lobo, a civil society activist and anti-mining campaigner told The Pioneer.
According to Ramesh Gauns, a veteran activist who has been protesting against illegal mining for nearly two decades now, the reason for the State BJP’s silence against Kamat and the illegal mining scam, was the latter’s proximity to the former Karnataka Chief Minister and senior BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa, who has also been indicted by the Justice Santosh Hegde report on illegal mining in the State.
“One cannot deny complicity between the BJP and Kamat. He (Kamat) has been a Mines Minister when Parrikar was the Chief Minister. Kamat is close to the RSS cadre and was very close to Yeddyurappa,” Gawas said.
But Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar said his party was not skirting the issue. “I am away from Goa. I will be raising the issue thoroughly when I am back on Monday. I have always maintained that while Yeddyurappa is waist deep in illegal mining, Kamat is up to his neck in the mining scam.”
Meanwhile, sources in the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) said that the then Chief Minister’s recent visit to New Delhi along with State Congress president Subhash Shirodkar was to specifically inform him about his impending removal from the top position.
“Over the last four years, Kamat successfully managed to convince the party high command that illegal mining was a myth in Goa. But with the recent Shah Commission visit and the facts which came to the fore, Delhi wants answers from Kamat about why he was found waiting to act against illegal mining,” sources within the Congress said. However, the Congress on Friday rubbished reports of change in the chief ministership.
What worries the Congress is that the State is expected to go to the polls early next year and with the issue of corruption hitting them badly both at the Centre and State level, the party top brass isn’t likely to take a risk.
Battle-hardened anti-mining activists, who had exposed several illegal mining incidents before the Justice MB Shah Commission, on Saturday said the State BJP leadership was working overtime to save the Congress Chief Minister, who shares a good rapport with the Opposition.
“Of course, when it comes to mining, every political party is together. This was the best chance for the BJP to make a political point against Congress and Kamat, who is responsible for illegal mining for nearly a decade now,” Floriano Lobo, a civil society activist and anti-mining campaigner told The Pioneer.
According to Ramesh Gauns, a veteran activist who has been protesting against illegal mining for nearly two decades now, the reason for the State BJP’s silence against Kamat and the illegal mining scam, was the latter’s proximity to the former Karnataka Chief Minister and senior BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa, who has also been indicted by the Justice Santosh Hegde report on illegal mining in the State.
“One cannot deny complicity between the BJP and Kamat. He (Kamat) has been a Mines Minister when Parrikar was the Chief Minister. Kamat is close to the RSS cadre and was very close to Yeddyurappa,” Gawas said.
But Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar said his party was not skirting the issue. “I am away from Goa. I will be raising the issue thoroughly when I am back on Monday. I have always maintained that while Yeddyurappa is waist deep in illegal mining, Kamat is up to his neck in the mining scam.”
Meanwhile, sources in the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) said that the then Chief Minister’s recent visit to New Delhi along with State Congress president Subhash Shirodkar was to specifically inform him about his impending removal from the top position.
“Over the last four years, Kamat successfully managed to convince the party high command that illegal mining was a myth in Goa. But with the recent Shah Commission visit and the facts which came to the fore, Delhi wants answers from Kamat about why he was found waiting to act against illegal mining,” sources within the Congress said. However, the Congress on Friday rubbished reports of change in the chief ministership.
What worries the Congress is that the State is expected to go to the polls early next year and with the issue of corruption hitting them badly both at the Centre and State level, the party top brass isn’t likely to take a risk.
