Wagh’s prayer: Rid Goa of plutocratic rule (Herald)

Wagh’s prayer: Rid Goa of plutocratic rule September 14, 2013 TEAM HERALD PANJIM: “This State is currently under the rule of the rich; of those who have their stomachs full; deliver us from this... bring her a rule where there is a place for the poor, a place for the workers, and a place for the persecuted.” Not quite the words one would expect from a ruling party MLA, who while praying gharanne before Lord Ganesh, ~ in a video uploaded on facebook ~ has asked that a “miracle take place within the next one year.” Barely over a year into power, BJP’s San André MLA Vishnu Wagh, who is also the vice chairperson of the Entertainment Society of Goa, has been making all the right noises, which could either be seen as a means to leverage lion’s share within the party or quit the party in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Barely a week has passed since the Wagh complained of being suffocated within the party, citing issues like the Medium of Instruction decision of the present government and claiming that the present government was succumbing to “pressures” just as the Congress was. Wagh was in the news earlier about his meeting the NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar and also being present at the same venue that AICC Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh was holding fort. He however claimed that this was completely unrelated to the ensuing Lok Sabha polls and preparations for the same. Since the BJP came to power, Wagh has been championing issues like the restarting of bullfights, as well as other issues that are not exactly in sync with the party he represents. The gharanne, the latest of Wagh’s moves in recent times paints a very sorry picture that the state is in right now. “Aiz Gõyant ek kalem sonkoxtt laglelem asa... don vorsak... tem azun meren mittana. Ak’khe Gõynche lok raddtat... Gõynche lokak sukh-ui na, samadhan na. Tanche mukhar khub praxn asa, te praxn solve karpi konn na.. ani oxea vellar lok tuje kodde paletat. (A pall of gloom has descended on Goa, it doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere... In the whole of Goa, people are crying, they have no consolation. They have many questions and difficulties, which they can turn to no one to solve... In times like these they turn to you),” Wagh said in his prayer, a video of which has been uploaded on social networking site Facebook. “Let there be a rule that is for the ordinary person... there are many simple people in Goa, there are Hindus, Christian and Muslim brothers... let us live together in harmony,” Wagh said. It may be recalled that Wagh who was earlier a Congress member had quit the party on account of the erstwhile Digambar Kamat government’s decision to give grants to primary schools which have opted for English. However, according to reports Wagh is one among the two legislators, who are yet to file their assets before Goa Lokayukta. Congress MLA Chandrakant Babu Kavlekar is also believed not to have filed his assets. http://www.oheraldo.in/News/Local%20News/Wagh-rsquo-s-prayer-Rid-Goa-of-plutocratic-rule/79424.html