Disclose donations from mining firms: AAP to Congress, BJP

Panaji, March 24 (IANS) The AAP in Goa wants the BJP and the Congress to disclose how much money has been donated to them by the mining companies ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing a press conference in Panaji Monday, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member Oscar Rebello said both parties have been pandering to the mining lobby and it was time the parties come clean on how much money they received as donation.

"It is clear that these are the lobbies which control the government in Goa. Both the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the Congress should come clean on how much money the mining companies donate to these parties," Rebello said.

His comments come against the unwillingness of the previous Congress-led and the incumbent BJP-led coalition governments to crack the whip on politician-bureaucrat-mining mafia nexus responsible for Goa's Rs.35,000-crore mining scam.

Last week, addressing a BJP students' convention in the capital, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said the Goa Police was scared to take on the powerful mining lobby in Goa. Parrikar also holds the home ministry portfolio.

The AAP in the state has decided as a policy not to accept donations from mining companies.