The Congress in Goa on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government in Goa of trying to "suppress the voice of the people" by transferring government employees who are kin of those who are critical of the government's actions and policies.
“This government is targeting each and every person. Those who speak against them are being targeted. There are many examples across Goa where government employees are transferred for raising voice against the government,” state Congress president Amit Patkar told a press conference in Panaji.
Patkar's comments come on the heels of a series of transfers carried out by the state government.
“Congress party never did such things. In the past we scrapped the Special Economic Zone when people opposed it and even the Regional Plan was scrapped. We never imposed anything against the wishes of people,” Patkar said.
The Congress in the mid 2000s had cancelled the allotment of seven special economic zones following popular protests against the land acquisition processes followed by the state government.
The Regional Plan 2021 was a land-use document which was suspended by the then Congress-led coalition government in the mid-2000s following statewide protests over the prospects of rampant concretisation in the state through the plan.
“We in our manifesto had promised that Congress will not allow ‘coal hub’, but today forcefully double tracking work is going on,” the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president said.
“In Goa 65 per cent voted against BJP. Now we need to unite the people and throw this government out in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, otherwise they will ‘finish’ the people of the country along with Goa,” he also said.