New Delhi, Nov. 3 (ANI): In a bid to expose the patronage of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government to the illegal mining in Goa, a delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by party president Nitin Gadkari met President Pratibha Devisingh Patil here on Thursday and demanding the constitution of a special investigation team to unearth the racket.
The delegation demanded the constitution of a special investigation team headed by a Supreme Court Judge, with an aim to unearth the racket.
The Goa Government, ruled by the ruling Congress Party, has come under scanner after it was reported that iron ore was illegally being exported from various parts of Goa.
BJP leaders Manohar Parrikar and Aarti Mehra were part of the delegation that met President Patil.
BJP President Gandkari, while briefing the media after the meeting, slammed Goa Chief Minister Digambara Kamat, as he was in-charge of the mining department in the state.
"The state mining department which is in the hands of Chief Minister of Goa, Digambar Kamat, and it is a very big mining scam. Digambar Kamat and his government are involved in it. The mining department of the government had accepted in a written document that 44 mines are illegal. It has been proved in a record of the Central Government that one crore 42 lakh tonnes of illegal mining has occurred," said Gadkari.
"They have made a mockery of the environment and forest act. We have been asking the Central Government again and again to take action against it, but nothing has been done as yet. They followed different rules for Karnataka but they are silent on Goa and are not taking any action," he added.
Former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar later speaking to mediapersons accused arious Congress leaders of being involved in the scam, and added that they had stashed large amount of money into the banks in foreign countries.
"Our demand is that, the Goa Government is immersed in illegal mining. Not only Digamber Kamat, but also other cabinet ministers are involved in it. Even the Congress chiefs have accepted this fact in front of the press that they are a part of mining industry including Subash Shirodkar (President of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee) and Vishwajeet Rane (Goa Health Minister), Ravi Nayak (Goa Home Minister)," said Parrikar.
"All these ministers who are involved in such scams are keeping black money in foreign banks. We demand immediate inquiry, action and formation of special investigation team over this issue," he added.
Media reports have alleged that millions of tonnes of iron ore has been mined and exported from Goa. (ANI)
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