Panaji, Jan 14 (PTI) The Shiv Sena in Goa todaycriticised the state's governmentÂ’s plans to observe OpinionPoll Day on a large scale with the Sena claiming that one ofthe constituents of the government had supported Goa's mergerwith Maharashtra.
Sena spokesperson Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik said that thegovernment was politicising the day and was unmindful of thefact that Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP)supported themerger of Goa with Maharashtra.
The MGP's move to merge Goa with the neighbouringstate led to the holding of an opinion poll in 1967 in whichthe vast majority of Goans voted to keep Goa a separateentity.
Attacking the Goa Forward Party which is holding apublic rally in Margao to commemorate the occasion, Naik saidthe party's move "smelt of double standards".
"While we completely agree with the GFP's demand thatthe history of Opinion Poll should be taught to students as apart of their school curriculum, its stand also smells ofdouble-standards," she alleged.
"If Goa Forward Party was really sensitive towards theethos of Goans, and claim to be carrying the legacy of thosewho fought to keep Goa separate, they should first of all notbe a part of any government that has Maharashtrawadi GomantakParty in it," she said.
She asked the party to make it clear if their ideologywas different from the MGP.
Attacking the government, Naik said that it had noright to celebrate Opinion Poll Day as the government was allset "to sell pieces of Goa to New Delhi and neighbouringstates for their political interests."The Sena said that GoaÂ’s compromise on Mahadayi watersharing issue with Karnataka was an example of how Goa isbeing "sold to Karnataka at the behest of (BJP)leaders inDelhi.""River nationalisation is another example of how ourrivers, and the people dependent on it, would be left at themercy of the powers in Delhi," she added. PTI RPSBNM.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.