Congress gives seven-day 'ultimatum' to Goa CM to condemn Shah's remarks on Mahadayi river issue

PANAJI: The opposition Congress on Saturday asked Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to condemn within a week the remarks of Union Home Minister Amit Shah wherein he said the BJP had resolved the Mahadayi river dispute and given the water to Karnataka.

Goa and the neighbouring southern state have been engaged in a tussle over sharing of the river water for several years.

Goa has often accused Karnataka of proceeding unilaterally in the matter by ignoring pacts.

Congress leaders including party's Goa desk-in-charge Manickam Tagore, state Congress president Amit Patkar, opposition leader Yuri Alemao, and South Goa MP Francis Sardinha participated in a meeting on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference, Patkar said if the Goa chief minister doesn't condemn Shah's remarks by Friday, it will prove "Goa has sold Mahadayi river to Karnataka for politics".

"No amount of statements by proxy ministers is sufficient for the people of Goa. Goa wants to know the truth only from the mouth of Pramod Sawant. We are giving him one-week time," Patkar said quoting the resolution passed at the meeting.

Addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party's rally at Belagavi in poll-bound Karnataka last Saturday, Shah said, "I want to tell you (people) that the BJP, by resolving the long-standing dispute between both states, has given Mahadayi water to Karnataka and, thereby, ensured farmers in several districts here are benefited".

As Shah's remarks caused a flutter, the Opposition parties in Goa demanded CM Sawant's resignation for "not taking a stand" over the Mahadayi issue.

Sawant had said there will be no compromise on the issue and the government has been working to protect Mahadayi river water from being diverted.

Patkar said the Congress will stage protests in Panaji and Margao on February 6 against the "scam involving Gautam Adani, LIC, and the SBI".

He alleged the Central government was "trying to protect Adani by using the money of the common people through SBI and LIC".

Tagore said Congress is working to rebuild the organization.

"The organization will be built to capture the hearts of the people of Goa in 2024 by winning both the Lok Sabha seats. We will continue our fight against the corrupt BJP-led government in the state," he said.

The opposition had stalled the proceedings of Parliament demanding a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee into the allegations of fraud and stock manipulation against the Adani Group.