NT Reporter
Panaji
All India Congress Committee’s Goa in-charge Manikrao Thakare on Saturday said people wanted Opposition parties to fight unitedly to defeat the BJP and would decide the fate of those who did not respect their sentiment.
Thakare was responding to media queries on the AAP-GFP alliance after a meeting at Congress House in Panaji. He said Congress is willing to hold alliance talks with Opposition parties.
“We have tried our best to bring them all together. If they don’t want to do it, if they don’t want to hear the people’s voice, then the people will decide what to do about them,” said Thakare. “We have always told everyone that we want to fight against the BJP.”
On the possibility of resuming alliance talks with the GFP or AAP, Thakare said, “Our doors are always open. We have never talked about closing them. As long as the people want, we will try to fight together against the BJP. This is the voice of the people, not ours.”
On AAP-GFP banners, Thakare said, “See, if someone wants to play a role, to help the BJP in this way, then what can we do?”
Thakare said any statement on the alliance would be made by GPCC president and that no other party member would make a different statement.
He was speaking during a meeting to discuss
the 27-day ‘Goy Rakhon Yatra’, which will begin on September 22.
Thakare also said the Congress is united and strong. “There is no confusion in the Congress Party. All the leaders are together and had decided to fight against the BJP. We want what the people also want,” said Thakare.
On former GPCC president Amit Patkar’s absence from Congress meetings, Thakare said, “Patkar is the state level leader of our Congress Party. We had called him to every committee meeting. He should come and give suggestions.”
Patkar, however, denied receiving invitations to the meetings. Speaking to the media, he said the local leadership might be misleading Thakare.
