Goa: Oppn parties join hands to fight over Mahadayi issue

Opposition parties in Goa on Thursday came together to resist neighbouring Karnataka's plans to divert the water of the river Mahadayi.

The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Goa Forward Party, Shiv Sena and others came together under the banner of 'Progressive Front of Goa' and resolved to create awareness about the issue across the state.

"Cutting across political affiliations, all Goans should come together to fight for the cause of Mahadayi," MGP working president Narayan Sawant told reporters.

In Karnataka, political parties bury their differences and fight together on the river issue, he pointed out.

"Goa may be small politically, but we should fight this battle united," he said.

Goa Youth Forward president Raj Malik alleged that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant could not even get Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appointment to discuss the issue in the last three months.

Progressive Front of Goa leaderHrudaynath Shirodkar said that Union ministers Prakash Javadekar, Pralhad Joshi and Chief Minister Sawant had "cheated" the people of Goa on the Mahadayi issue.

"I condemn the action of Goa government which stalled adjournment motion (during recent assembly session) on a technical ground. When it avers that the Mahadayi is more than our mother, it can not stall the adjournment motion on technical ground," he said.

The Goa government is opposed a drinking water project proposed by Karnataka on the river, fearing that it would divert Goa's share of water.