GA-SARDESAI-STATUE

Goa Town and Country Planning

minister Vijai Sardesai Wednesday said if those opposing the

installation of a statue of Dr Jack Sequeira in the Assembly

complex were not taught a lesson, then "we would be called

political eunuchs".

He was speaking after unveiling a bust of Dr Sequeira

on the occasion of the Opinion Poll Day.

The day commemorates a 1967 referendum in which the

people of Goa opted against a proposal that it should merge

with neighbouring Maharashtra.

Sequeira spearheaded a movement to stop Goa from

merging with Maharashtra.

The BJP in the past had opposed the demand to put up

his statue in the Assembly complex.

Sardesai said the installation was only a matter of

time.

"Let us stay united and we will achieve it," said the

minister who heads BJP's ally Goa Forward Party.

"Anyone who says that Jack Sequeira should not be

given recognition should be defeated in the next

election....What would we be termed as? We would be 'political

hijra' (eunuch) if we can not do this," he said.

Later, speaking to reporters, the minister said by

eunuch, he meant "politically impotent".

The history of the Opinion Poll would be part of the

school curriculum from the coming academic year, he said.

In a jibe at the opposition Congress, Sardesai

pointed out that Congress's Goa unit president Girish

Chodankar in his tweet about the Opinion Poll Day got the year

wrong.

Chodankar said it was 1966, when it was actually held

in 1967, Sardesai said.

The Congress has "Maharashtrawadi hangover" as

leaders from the pro-Maharashtra MGP took control of that

party, he allleged.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)