Was misquoted on Mhadei: Palyekar; GFP asserts stand

MARGAO: Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai didn’t approve of water resources minister

Vinod Palyekar

’s statements that Parrikar’s move on the Mhadei issue was a “political stunt” and said that it was “not in sync” with the party’s stand.

“Our party’s stand is that Mhadei water may be shared with Karnataka for drinking purpose up to a certain requirement on humanitarian reasons. Palyekar may not be wanting to say (what he said)...he may be having a problem in communicating his views in English,” Sardesai told TOI.

“The party’s stand is clear. The chief minister may be having political compulsions behind writing the letter; all national parties have their own compulsions and actually try to depreciate the interests of the state for the larger cause of national integration. That’s why we espouse regionalist politics,” Sardesai said.

The

TCP

minister reiterated that his party will not be a party to the “sell-out” of Goa if water is diverted for irrigation. “We will prevent any diversion of Mhadei waters,” Sardesai stressed.

On Wednesday evening, Palyekar said, “My leader,

Vijay Sardesai

, has made it very clear that we will not allow diversion of water and it is my statement and my department’s stand too.”

Offering a clarification on a media report which claimed that he called chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s letter to Karnataka BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa a “political stunt”, Palyekar said, “Certain sections of the media have misquoted me. I meant to say that the letter by the chief minister might have some political compulsion.”