Panaji, July 17: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar has expressed serious concern over the reported announcement by Param Pujya Datta Puri Datta Samartha Maharaj of Juna Akhada that he was prepared to resort to self-immolation if justice continued to be denied to the Karapur-Sarvan villagers.

Chodankar described the development as an indictment of the BJP government’s alleged insensitive approach towards the villagers’ grievances, stating that no democratic government should allow a situation to reach such a desperate stage.

“The very fact that a respected religious leader has felt compelled to announce such an extreme step reflects the complete collapse of the BJP Government’s responsiveness towards the genuine grievances of the people,” Chodankar said, urging Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant to personally intervene and initiate meaningful dialogue with the villagers.

He accused the government of ignoring people’s voices until protests reached an extreme stage and said governance could not be limited to public relations, photo opportunities and assurances.

At the same time, Chodankar appealed to Datta Puri Datta Samartha Maharaj not to take any extreme step, stressing that every life is precious and that the issue should be resolved through democratic dialogue.

The GPCC president said the Congress stood with the villagers in their peaceful struggle for justice and called upon the government to act urgently to prevent the situation from escalating further.

“This is not the time for political arrogance or administrative apathy. It is the time for compassion, dialogue and justice,” Chodankar said, urging the government to act immediately to address the villagers’ concerns and restore their faith in the democratic process.