Panaji: Attacking the ruling BJP over the transfer of Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik, the Opposition parties on Tuesday said he was shifted for speaking “truth” and taking a strong stand on core issues like the COVID-19 pandemic, environment and the Mahadayi river water dispute.
Malik has been transferred as Governor of Meghalaya, and Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari has been asked to discharge the functions of Goa governor in addition to his own duties. Congress leader Digambar Kamat said Malik was transferred because he spoke the truth.
“The governor stood by truth, emotions and sentiments of every Goan on the core issues like Mahadayi water diversion by Karnataka, economic revival and austerity measures, besides the government’s handling and management of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly said in a statement.
He said, “truth and the BJP cannot go together”. Kamat said it was sad that an honest and upright person like Malik has been transferred at a time when Goa needed him the most.
He said Malik’s actions were with a sole intention of protecting the common man and environment and nature of Goa.
“Malik was always concerned about bad finances of the state and consistently advised the government to adopt austerity measures and to stop wasteful expenditure,” the Congress leader said.
He said every Goan must be feeling hurt with the transfer of the governor. Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief Vijai Sardesai said Malik spoke the truth about the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the coastal state.
“He had taken a strong stand on the Mahadayi issue and other austerity measures including opposition for new Raj Bhavan. He had called out the Goa chief minister for being uncultured,” Sardesai said in a statement. The GFP chief also questioned Maharashtra governor being given the additional charge as the governor of Goa.
“Malik’s transfer was in a way expected as truth is despised here under the present dispensation. “But how can anyone justify that governor of a state (Maharashtra) with the maximum number of COVID-19 cases and deaths being given the additional responsibility of another state (Goa)?” he asked.
Goa’s COVID-19 case tally stood at 11,994 as on August 17, as per the state health department.
Source : PTI