Panaji, Sep 21 (IANS) The Congress Friday demanded a special one-day session of the Goa legislative assembly to discuss the illegal mining issue, even as a mining department official suspended earlier this month committed suicide Friday.
"The Congress demands that the state legislative assembly be convened for a special session, even if it is for one day to discuss the mining issue. The assembly should meet and take adequate steps on the issue," Congress spokesperson Sudip Tamhankar said here.
On the alleged suicide by D. Bhave, a suspended official of the department of mines and geology, Tamhankar said Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was specifically targeting honest officials and this led Bhave to commit suicide.
"In the name of the mining scam, Parrikar is doing selective targeting. All mining department officials should be probed independently," Tamhankar said.
Another senior Congress leader Jitendra Deshprabhu demanded that Parrikar, also a mines minister, be booked by police for abetting Bhave's suicide.
Tamhankar also said that Pratapsing Rane and Digambar Kamat, the two Congress chief ministers indicted in Rs.35,000 crore scam by Justice M.B. Shah Commission, could have turned a blind eye to mining related illegalities because of the number of people depending on the industry.
"They could have a soft corner because so many people earn a living from mining. You cannot blame them for thinking about masses," Tamhankar said.
