BJP MLAs visit Azad Maidan

Panaji: A late-night attempt by the government to get FORCE to give up its hunger strike failed to convince the agitating parents, who stated that they had resolved to undertake the protest till their demands were met and that what the government was offering was nothing new.
BJP MLAs went to the Azad Maidan to try and convince Savio Lopes, who is on a hunger strike for the last four days that the government would pass the amendment granting aid to all schools, including English medium schools.
“Even if we have the intention to pass it tomorrow, we can’t because there is a proper legal process to follow,” Nilesh Cabral said.
“It has gone to the select committee and we promise to pass it in the next session,” he said.
“The parents decided it had to be passed in this session and we stand by it,” FORCE treasurer Sintia Fernandes said after a 30-minute discussion with Lopes. Prior to that, the MLAs, two of whom are on the select committee appointed to look into the issue, tried to convince Lopes to give up his fast.
“We are promising to do it (pass the amendment) and should it not happen, which is unlikely, we will be here with them (FORCE),” environment minister Alina Saldanha said.
Mahadev Naik, Carlos Almeida, Saldanha, Siddarth Kuncolienkar, Nilesh Cabral, Glen Ticlo, Avertano Furtado, Subhash Phaldessai, Pramod Sawant and even Aleixo Reginald Lourenco were among the MLAs that gathered at Azad Maidan.