An altercation in the 43rd GST Council meeting gathered steam on Saturday between Goa Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and newly appointed Tamil Nadu Finance Minister P. T. R. Palanivel Thiagarajan over the latter’s alleged demand for preferential treatment for bigger states.
Godinho, who has been representing the state in the GST Council meeting, has now demanded an apology from Palanivel Thiagarajan for insulting small states like Goa and defying the spirit of the Indian Constitution.
“I want to remind the new Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu Mr Palanivel, refrain from conducting yourself in a manner as a big brother versus small brother or big state versus small state. We all have equal rights. His attitude should be condemned by one and all right-thinking people. He should not target Goa,” Godinho told a press conference on Saturday.
“The Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu should apologise. What is he trying to tell me? That he is against the Constitution of the country? Does he not believe in the Constitution of India? Does he not believe in equality before law? Does he not believe that whatever your status, whatever your standing in society, whether your constituency comprises of lakhs of voters or a few thousand voters, everybody has got one vote,” the Goa Minister also said.
Recounting the events of Friday, Godinho said that during the GST Council meeting, Palanivel Thiagarajan, in the presence of the chairman Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that bigger states should have more say at the meeting, compared to smaller states like Goa, who have smaller areas and population.
“I took offence at yesterday’s meeting because he said ‘what is Goa, it is a small thing, it is a small population. You should listen to me’, he was trying to tell the Union Finance Minister,” Godinho said.
“But the Finance GoMinister Nirmala Sitharaman very clearly told him, everybody is equal before the law. There is no bigger vote or smaller vote, everybody has one vote,” the Goa Minister also said.