The Aam Aadmi party slammed the ‘absent government’ of Goa for being available only to help the casino magnates get yet another casino vessel into an already choked Mandovi River. Addressing media, in the presence of AAP leaders Sidharth Karapurkar and Roque Mascarenhas, AAP Convenor Elvis Gomes said that the absence of the government was felt in all areas which concern the common man. However , he said that it was enthusiastically present when it comes to servicing only the casino industry as has been seen with permissions being granted to yet another casino vessel of a size three times the existing casino vessel to operate in the Mandovi. ” This government cannot solve a simple matter as that of fish in formalin since July. It has now banned entry of fish from across borders but has failed to ban export of fish. Fish cost has shot up and the Aam Aadmi is the victim. But the same government goes into an overdrive to further choke the river Mandovi by allowing yet another big casino vessel.” said Gomes reminding the people about one of the biggest U turns taken by the CM in 2012 on the removal of casino vessels. He went on to say that giving land around Mopa to the casino industry to operate an exclusive gambling zone, will ultimately lead to renaming of Goa as ‘Las Goas’. “AAP makes the people of Goa aware that its about fast tracking of the sale of Goa and that their ” lust Goa” will be our “lost Goa” making Goans orphans in their own homeland.” said Gomes. Drawing attention to an incident of assault on a football fan reportedly by security forces at the FC Goa match at Fatorda, Gomes who was the president of the GFA till recently said that the punch on the nose of a young lad was a symbolic precursor to the punches the Goans would be getting on their faces in time to come until they become extinct from the new Goa called ‘Las Goas’. ” AAP condemns the assault on football fans. These youngsters come for the love of football and deserve respect and even in the face of grave provocation if there was any, should have been handled better rather than using such physical force as to injure them.”
Taking on from where Elvis stopped, AAP Leader on Environment matters Sidharth Karapurkar castigated the government for creating the gambling zone around Mopa and diverting the attention of locals about the mass destruction of trees by advertising a job fair for jobs such as iron bar benders. He said that it was a knee jerk reaction to aap’s support to the hapless people who were loosing their livelihoods. “What kind of jobs are they talking about for a period of mere 3 months to one year? After that they want to throw them on the roads? And what about permanent jobs? Who will get them?” questioned Sidharth.
Citing the incident of vastraharan of Draupadi in the Mahabharata because of gambling, he said that the BJP that was talking about Hindus and Hindutva was adopting double standards by promoting gambling industry in the form of casinos.
