Panaji: Even as a group of seven dissident
non-Congress legislators in Goa continued to sulk against the
state government they support, Chief Minister Digamber Kamat
on Tuesday ruled out that his stand against illegal mining has
triggered the rebellion.
"No one has pressurized me (to get their illegal mines
cleared). Even if someone tries to pressurize, I won?t concede
to their demands," Kamat said today.
A day after the seven MLAs, including three of NCP, two
of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), one of United Goans
Democratic Party and an Independent, revived their rebellion
against the state government, the Chief Minister
feigned complete ignorance on the demands placed by the
dissidents.
"I don’t know. They are discussing the demands with my
high command. I have no idea," Kamat told reporters.
"Congress President Sonia Gandhi will take a decision
on this by meeting NCP high command. I have no idea about
their demands. They have not discussed the demands with me,"
Kamat said.
He said the demands made by the group were "not
within his powers" to meet.
NCP leader Jose Philip D’Souza, who was the part of
rebel group, chose to keep their demands under a wrap. "I
can’t tell anything to the media. We have conveyed our demands
to the high command," he said.
Another rebel leader, MGP’s Ramakrishna Dhavalikar
claimed they had `no demands` but `certain points` which are
required to be implemented for better administration.
Dhavalikar, the Transport Minister in Kamat cabinet,
too refused to elaborate on the `crucial points`. The
dissident group had triggered a crisis-like situation in Goa
on Monday after they threatened to boycott the cabinet meeting
scheduled today.
However, their rebellion turned out to be a damp squib
as the cabinet meeting was attended by all the ministers
from the dissident group except independent legislator
Vishwajeet Rane.
PTI
