Parsekar defends Wagh on Sopo issue

Ponda: Chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar said that BJP MLA Vishnu Surya Wagh’s comment that the government is of capitalists pertained to Ponda municipal council (PMC) and not the ruling BJP state government.
Joining some other legislators, at a meeting organized by Ponda market vendors on Friday to protest against sopo tax imposed by the PMC, Wagh had alleged that the ruling BJP government is of capitalists and not of the common people.
The sopo stir is going on since April-May 2014 against the PMC’s sopo tax. The vendors are demanding a roll back in the sopo tax collection by a contractor and revision of sopo tax rate.
The vendors had organized the meeting to exert pressure on the government by inviting some MLAs to get their demands met.
The meeting was attended by MLAs Wagh, Lavoo Mamledar and Reginaldo Lourenco and former minister Manohar Azgaonkar.
Commenting on a statement by his own MLA, on the sidelines of a programme at Gopal Ganapati temple in Farmagudi Ponda on late Saturday, Parsekar said that by using the word government, Wagh could have meant Ponda municipal council.