United oppn will demand CAA discussion in Goa Assembly: GFP

Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai on Saturday said his party would try to unite the opposition to demand discussion on issues like the Citizenship Amendment Act and the Mahadayi river dispute in the Budget session of the state Assembly scheduled to begin from February 3.

He said the Congress, NCP and MGP will coordinate with the GFP on the floor of the House.

"The three GFP MLAs and Independent legislator Rohan Khaunte have moved amendment to the governor's address which was delivered last month during the first session of the year," he said.

He said GFP would demand short duration discussion of two-and-half hours on the issue of Mahadayi river diversion, CAA, National Register of Citizens and reservation in the Goa Assembly for Scheduled Tribes.

"We want discussion on the statement of the governor that Goa has been cheated on the Mahadayi river issue by the Centre. We have already spoken to Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat on the CAA-NRC discussion," he added.

Sardesai, who is MLA from Fatorda seat, said his party would raise in the House the confusion regarding arrest of men who allegedly threatened state PWD minister Deepak Pauskar.

Rishikesh Patil (27), Pravin Naik (28) and Amol Sami (28), all hailing from Sangli in Maharashtra, were held under IPC section 384 (extortion) on January 22.

Pauskar had said at the time that he was receiving threatening calls from Mumbai and Dubai over the past few days. The callers were demanding Rs 3 crore, he had said.

Sardesai said the three were given "overnight bail" whereas they should have been subjected to "custodial interrogation".