Team Herald
PANJIM: Anyone expecting sparks to fly on Tuesday as Goa Power Minister Nilesh Cabral and Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Delhi MLA and Delhi Jal Board vice chairman Raghav Chadha were to debate the power scenario in the State and the National Capital will be disappointed.
The excitement that was being built up by AAP on the debate, with hoardings at various places, has fizzled out with Cabral stating that “only Minister” can debate with him on the issue.
Last week Chadha, took to social media announcing that he had accepted Cabral’s challenge for a public debate.
Quoting from a video of a press conference held by Cabral, Chadha tweeted, “Mr Cabral wants to have a public debate. I will reach Goa by 2.00pm on November 17. Kindly intimate time and venue anytime thereafter, where I should come for public debate.”
However, in the video, Cabral had said, “We are ready to sponsor the flight ticket to anyone to come down to Goa, who wants to study management of power.”
On Monday, Chadha again raked up the issue alleging that the BJP high command is not permitting Cabral to debate, though the idea was originally of the minister. “I now urge BJP high command as well as Cabral to readily accept this challenge and let me know the venue and time for this debate,” he said.
The AAP leader said that he had informed Cabral that he will be debating with him on Arvind Kejirwal’s electricity model versus Goa electricity model of BJP. “But now, he (Cabral) seems to be running away from debate,” he added.
Reacting to the statement, Cabral clarified that he had never called anybody for a debate but had said they could come and study power management in Goa. “I had clearly said that if anyone wants to learn Goa model, he is welcome to come. Anyone is free to come to my office for discussion on power management. I welcome them,” he said.
“I have no issue with debating with like-minded people or who understand power issues. A person who is MLA and vice chairman of Jal Board, has no connection with power at all, I don’t seek to debate with him,” he said.
“But if the question is of debate, then it should be between a Power Minister and a Power Minister and not with any party leader. If Delhi Power Minister wants to have a debate, he is welcome,” Cabral added.
The Minister also said that since Chadha is coming to Goa, the MLA is welcome anytime to walk into his office and hold a discussion.
