PANAJI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday slammed both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition Congress in Goa, alleging they are "hand in glove" in looting the state's resources.
Kejriwal, speaking after inaugurating a party office in Mayem, 16 km from here, alleged that in the past six decades, 13 or 14 families have alone continuously occupied the government and its machinery in Goa. "These two parties fight elections for their families and to loot Goa, not for the people’s welfare, " he asserted, stressing that the people of Goa have "no role" in the state government.
The AAP leader accused Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant of planning to field his wife from the Mayem Assembly constituency in the upcoming polls, questioning why a common party worker is not given a ticket instead. "We won't pick any of the leader's wife or relative as a candidate, " Kejriwal maintained, alleging that "dynasty rule" prevails in both the Congress and the BJP.
He pointed out the frequent defections between the two major parties, stating that leaders shift to the ruling side after the formation of the government.
Kejriwal asked the public if a few families or the people should control the government. Sharing information he claimed to have received during a flight to Goa, Kejriwal alleged that Goa Congress president Amit Patkar owns mines in the state, and he cannot operate them without the blessings of CM Sawant.
"Both are one in plundering state resources. They earn in joint business, making the people fools, " the AAP leader stated. The former Delhi CM stated that the Goa people are deprived of basic amenities like hospitals, schools, and good roads.
"These public issues can be solved using the public money which now goes into the pockets of these two parties, " he alleged, urging people to prepare to change the system in Goa.