Mining-hit will stand by BJP in polls: Vinay Tendulkar

PANAJI: Reacting to the decision of the Goa Mining Peoples’ Front to work against the BJP in the byelection and Lok Sabha elections as BJP failed to solve the mining issue, BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar on Saturday said the organisation’s threat would not have much impact on the BJP as the mining dependents will stand by the party.
Speaking to STOI, Tendulkar said the BJP is trying all measures to restart mining in the state.“We are still hopeful that the state and Centre will come up with a solution. I am positive that there will be a solution to mining,” he said.

He also said that mining was not shut down by the state government, but by the court. Mining in Goa came to halt on March 15, 2018, following the decision of the Supreme Court which quashed the second renewal of 88 mining leases.
“The court has closed down mines in Odisha and Karnataka as well as Goa, but Goa is a small state and we have been badly affected. People in the mining belt are angry but that does not mean that they will release their anger on the BJP,” he said.
Tendulkar also hit back at GMPF president Puti Gaonkar. “Gaonkar is not a mining dependent. He is a union leader who runs businesses. We will give justice to the people of the state and BJP will always work in the interests of the people,” he said.
He also said that during the closure of mining operations, BJP had helped the dependents by running a scheme for truck owners and others. “We will try to protect the interest of the mining dependents,” he said
GMPF had given the BJP a February 13 deadline to resolve the mining issue. Recently, it held a meeting and decided not to support the BJP in the election and defeat their candidates.
PM Narendra Modi had met a Goa delegation and assured to resolve the mining issue. But, Gaonkar said that there was no concrete assurance from the PM to restart mining activities in the state.