Vijay as CM, who needs coal? He’ll do the job quicker --By Nisser Dias

Dangerous than coal

Ah, election season in Goa is on the horizon — our very own carnival of promises, slogans, and lofty declarations designed to dazzle voters into submission. Every politician suddenly becomes a saint, every party swears undying love for Goa, and everyone is apparently one election away from saving the state. Enter stage left: Vijay Sardessai, supremo of the Goa Forward Party, armed with his latest Oscar-worthy line — “If I become the Chief Minister, coal transport in Goa will be stopped completely.”

Cue the collective eye-roll of an entire state.

Because let’s face it: if Vijay Sardessai ever became Chief Minister, Goa wouldn’t need coal to destroy it — he’d manage that job just fine on his own.

This is a man who wraps himself in the rhetoric of “love for Goa” while his actual track record screams “love for wealth.” Remember the Fatorda mansion plonked on agricultural land? Built right on a bundh, because who needs farming when you can have prime real estate instead? Or the Quepem hill razed to dust for his shiny resort project? Forget saving Goa — this is Sardessai’s personal brand of eco-friendly destruction: bulldoze first, justify later.

Of course, he’ll tell you everything is “legal,” with all the “right” permissions. But let’s not kid ourselves. When arm-twisting and backroom deals are his standard operating procedure, paperwork is just a formality.

And now, this man wants you to believe he’ll take on coal giants like Adani and Jindal? Please. If given the CM’s chair, he’d probably double the coal traffic, roll out the red carpet, and hand them the keys to the Mandovi.

Remember, late Manohar Parrikar, promised to stop Casinos in 100 days, instead doubled it.

But Sardessai’s hypocrisy doesn’t stop at coal. Let’s not forget his glory days as Town and Country Planning Minister, where he treated citizens like unwelcome guests in

their own state. Bouncers at public meetings, land deals with Delhi big shots, and that unforgettable Curtorim transaction—because why just lead Goa when you can sell it off piece by piece?

Even the former Chief Minister late Dr. Wilfred D’Souza allegedly saw through him: “This man will sell Goa if he becomes Chief Minister.” But here we are, still watching Vijay rehearse his CM acceptance speech in the mirror every morning.

For a man born in Argentina but politically “reborn” in Goa, Sardessai has turned politics into his personal goldmine. It’s not governance; it’s a business model. And business, as they say, is booming — for him, not for Goa.

So, let’s be crystal clear: Vijay Sardessai doesn’t deserve to be Chief Minister — not now, not ever. Goa cannot afford his brand of opportunism masquerading as leadership. If there’s one favour we owe ourselves and Mother Goa, it’s this: keep Vijay Sardessai as far away from the CM’s chair as humanly possible.

Because the only thing more dangerous than coal in Goa… is Vijay Sardessai in power.

Politics or theatre? MLA Venzy: steering Benaulim straight into chaos -- By Nisser Dias

MLA Venzy leading Benaulim to chaos

Back in 2008, then St. Cruz MLA Atanasio Babush Monseratte had the brilliant idea of marching a mob straight to the Panjim police station. The result? Stones flying, cops bleeding, law and order collapsing faster than a pack of wet playing cards. And yes, the police responded with their favourite tool — the lathi — whacking more sense out of the situation than restoring any.

Fast forward to 2025 and Benaulim’s very own drama captain, MLA Venzy Viegas, clearly thought: Why let Babush have all the glory? So on September 1st, he dusted off the old playbook and led a morcha to the Colva police station, demanding arrests of mysterious burglars. Noble intention, right? Except, no. The man wasn’t just leading a protest; he was practically coaching the crowd on how to corner the Police Inspector. And because no Venzy stunt is complete without a spotlight, he made sure the whole thing was live-streamed — after all, if it isn’t on camera, did it even happen?

The only adult in the room was PI Vikram Naik, who managed to stay calm and listen, while Venzy puffed up like he was auditioning for a messiah role. Without Naik’s restraint, we’d probably have had Babush 2.0: Stone Pelting Reloaded.

And let’s not pretend this is Venzy’s first rodeo. He’s made a hobby of dragging crowds to the Colva station. Remember when he paraded taxi operators there to bully the government into curbing GoaMiles? Because in Venzy’s world, tourists should only use “approved” taxis — the rowdy, overcharging ones, preferably.

AAP MLA want absolute control in Benaulim

The man calls himself “Captain,” and boy does he act like Benaulim is his personal cargo ship. Except he’s not steering governance — he’s running a circus. Someone needs to remind him that he’s not the police commissioner, not the judge, not the Home Minister. He’s just an MLA with a five-year expiry date, after which he’s back to begging for votes. Meanwhile, the police he’s trying to arm-twist? They stick around until retirement. Who’s really in charge here?

Honestly, Venzy should be booked — not for burglary, but for obstructing government servants, humiliating officers, and treating the police station like his campaign stage. If he has issues, he should march to the Home Minister’s office, not turn Colva police station into his personal theatre. Even past MLAs — yes, the so-called “semi literates” — showed more class and dignity than this self-styled reformer.

But Venzy doesn’t want class. He wants chaos. He wants banned bullfights to thrive, taxi mafias to rule, and officers who dare stand tall to be cut down. In short: a lawless playground where he plays saviour.

Politics or theatre

Here’s the kicker: solving crime isn’t about theatrics outside a police station. It’s about convictions in court. Push the cops too hard, and they’ll arrest the wrong people just to shut you up — letting the real criminals walk free. But hey, why bother with real results when you can chase viral views?

And the timing? Oh, that’s the cherry on this political sundae. Venzy’s grand morcha just happened to coincide with the arrest of a social activist. Almost like he sniffed a conspiracy that PI Naik wasn’t “his guy” and decided to stage a drama to get him transferred.

Cheap gimmicks, desperate politics, social media, same old story, that’s Venzy Viegas’ speciality.