NT Reporter
Margao
Upset Congress workers on Saturday evening confronted South Goa MP Viriato Fernandes seeking answers over the removal of Amit Patkar as the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president.
The workers expressed strong displeasure over the decision and demanded to know the reasons behind Patkar’s replacement.
“As karyakartas, we went to Bengaluru to tell Kharge that we do not want a change. Despite that, why has this change happened? We have come to you because you are above the Leader of Opposition. When the party is looking for youngsters, why is Patkar being removed? We need a reason. We also hear that the land mafia got him removed,” Congress workers said, voicing concern, on the sidelines of an event at Varca.
Responding to the group, Fernandes said he had no prior consultation or information regarding the decision.
“I only came to know of this last night when someone sent me the order. I am giving an honest answer—no one has asked me, no one has consulted me. I cannot say anything beyond that. I am clueless on this,” he said.
He added that he would take a position after understanding the matter further, while acknowledging the sentiments of the party workers. One worker ridiculed him saying that an MP has no value if the party didn’t consult him over state party
leadership issue.
Later, they moved to indoors where the discussion continued. They asked whether he would resign on the grounds that he was not consulted over state Congress leadership change.
