*BJP’s Proposal for a Nuclear Power Plant in Goa is a Direct Attack on Our Land, Livelihoods and Legacy which is Reckless & Unacceptable: Amit Patkar*

Panjim;It is shocking and unacceptable that Shri Manohar Lal Khattar, Union Minister for Power, has proposed the establishment of a nuclear power plant in Goa. This reckless announcement exposes the BJP’s utter disregard for Goa’s ecology, economy, and the safety of its people.Let me be clear: Goa is not a dumping ground for the BJP’s dangerous experiments. The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee, under my leadership, condemns this move in the strongest possible terms. We will not allow the Centre or the BJP government to play with the future of Goa and Goans.Goa is an ecological jewel — known for its fragile Western Ghats, rich biodiversity, and thriving tourism and fishing economies. This ill-conceived nuclear plant plan threatens to destroy what generations of Goans have preserved. It is scientifically unsound, environmentally disastrous, and socially unacceptable.The BJP has already done enough damage — through reckless deforestation, illegal land grabs, and infrastructure projects that have disrupted our rivers, Hill, Forest and farmlands. Now, in the name of “development,” they want to install a high-risk nuclear facility in a state that lacks the basic infrastructure to deal with such a hazard.The world has not forgotten Chernobyl or Fukushima. A single incident can devastate lives, livelihoods, and landscapes forever. Goa does not have the land mass, water resources, or disaster-response capability to absorb such a catastrophe. Why should Goans be forced to live under the shadow of a radioactive threat just to serve BJP’s political interests?Moreover, nuclear power is no longer the energy of the future. It is expensive, water-intensive, generates toxic waste, and creates long-term national security risks. Clean and renewable alternatives exist — but the BJP lacks the vision to pursue them.This proposal is not just environmentally and economically dangerous — it is politically sinister. It is an assault on Goa’s autonomy, its heritage, and its people’s right to decide their future.The Congress Party will resist this brazen move with full force. We will not allow BJP to mortgage Goa’s destiny to corporate interests and Delhi diktats. We call upon all Goans — across party lines — to rise in one voice against this insanity.If the Centre dares to move ahead with this plan, we will launch a mass statewide agitation — from the Assembly to the streets to the courts. Our land is not for sale. Our future is not for negotiation.Goa is not BJP’s laboratory. We will fight — and we will protect our motherland.*Amit Patkar*President,Goa Pradesh Congress Committee