BJP Govt in Goa is working for builders while people are struggling to save their land: Arvind Kejriwal

AAP Govt will revoke Section 39(A) & all permissions granted under it: Arvind Kejriwal

Goa Is Not For Sale: Arvind Kejriwal

Builders are making crores in profits while villagers’ lives are being ruined: Arvind Kejriwal

AAP Govt will undertake development works only after consulting people of Goa & Gram Sabhas: Arvind Kejriwal

Those in power want to destroy Goa’s natural beauty & environment to fill their own pockets: Atishi

AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal joins ongoing protest Karapur-Sarvan in Goa to save land & environment

NEW DELHI / GOA, May 2026 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday stood firmly with the residents of Karapur-Sarvan village in Goa, who have been protesting to protect their land, livelihoods and environment from large-scale real estate projects. Joining the ongoing dharna along with AAP Goa In-charge Atishi, Arvind Kejriwal asserted that while the BJP Government is working in the interests of powerful builders, ordinary Goans are being forced to fight for the survival of their villages and ancestral lands.

The AAP Supremo declared that Goa’s land, ecology and natural heritage cannot be sacrificed for private profits, and promised that an AAP Government would revoke Section 39(A) and all permissions granted under it, scrap controversial housing projects, and ensure that all future development takes place only with the consent of local people and Gram Sabhas. Emphasising that “Goa is not for sale,” Arvind Kejriwal said the struggle of Karapur-Sarvan reflects a larger battle to protect the identity, environment and future of Goa from unchecked commercial exploitation.

Addressing the gathering, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said, “I have come all the way from Delhi specifically to support the people sitting on this dharna. Goa is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The permission granted for change of land use under Section 39A of the TCP Act involves a serious conflict of interest. Therefore, there should be an impartial investigation into this land conversion and those responsible must face strict punishment.”

Reaffirming AAP’s commitment to the movement, the AAP Supremo declared, “Within one month of an AAP Government being formed, this housing project will be scrapped. Our Government will bring a law with retrospective effect and all projects approved under these provisions will be cancelled. Any development in Goa should take place only after consulting the people and the Gram Sabhas of the villages.”

Calling upon the people to support clean politics, Arvind Kejriwal said, “The people themselves should campaign for an honest Government. The Aam Aadmi Party has successfully run a Government in Delhi and is now doing the same in Punjab. The good work done there proves that ours is an honest party. When an AAP Government comes to power in Goa, all such projects will be cancelled and villagers will get their land back.”

Later, sharing his views on social media platform X, Arvind Kejriwal stated, “Goa BJP government works for builders and colonisers, while Goans are left to fight for their land, villages and ecology. At Karapur-Sarvan today, I assured the villagers that an AAP government will repeal Section 39(A) and revoke all permissions granted under it. Goa is not for sale..”

Interacting with the media, Arvind Kejriwal explained that the residents of Karapur village were opposing the project because the plateau earmarked for development was critical to their agricultural activities and daily lives. “The entire groundwater recharge system of the area depends on this plateau, which sustains farming in the village. The region is ecologically sensitive and environmentally significant. Yet a builder plans to construct more than 2,000 dwelling units across 5.5 lakh square metres of land,” he added.

The AAP Chief noted, “People from across India and abroad will come and purchase these units, effectively creating a new township. Goa is globally known for its natural beauty, but this project will severely damage its environment and landscape. Farming activities will be destroyed. The tenancy rights of local people have not been respected. Villagers grow cashew and cultivate various crops here, all of which will disappear if this project proceeds.”

Arvind Kejriwal further stated, “People here are saying that this land belongs to a minister. I want to ask Chief Minister Pramod Sawant whose land this is. The sale of this land will generate enormous profits for that minister. Permission to change the land use of this agricultural land has been granted under Section 39A of the TCP Act. It is also being alleged that the builder who has been given this land is linked to the BJP. Both the builder and the landowner stand to gain crores and even billions. But what will the people of Goa and this village get? They will only get destruction. Their livelihoods, food security and way of life will be ruined. Only the builder and the landowner will benefit.”

Targeting the BJP Government’s land policies, Arvind Kejriwal said, “The BJP Government introduced Section 39A two years ago and numerous permissions have been granted under it across Goa. This is a Government that works only for builders and colonisers and is bent upon destroying Goa. There is rampant corruption under Section 39A.”

The AAP Supremo said, “I have assured the people that the BJP Government will do nothing. Elections are only a few months away. Vote for the Aam Aadmi Party and bring our Government to power. We will repeal Section 39A and cancel every project approved under it. Projects approved under the earlier Section 17(2) provisions will also be cancelled, and those approved under Section 16B will likewise be scrapped. We stand with the people of Karapur and all of Goa, and we demand that this project be cancelled immediately.”

Speaking at the protest site, AAP Goa In-charge Atishi said that the people of Karapur were not alone in their struggle and had the support of the entire state.

Recalling earlier people’s movements, Atishi said, “When protests took place in Chimbel, it was the women who stood at the forefront. Their courage forced the Government to retreat and ultimately the project had to be withdrawn. Today, the people of Karapur are not fighting alone. The whole of Goa stands with them. We too have come from Delhi to support their struggle.”

Highlighting the environmental significance of Goa, Atishi said, “Goa’s natural beauty and environment are a national treasure. There is hardly a place in the world as beautiful as Goa, whether it is its forests, rivers or coastline. But Goa’s leaders want to destroy this beauty because they want to fill their own pockets. Agricultural land is first purchased at cheap rates, then its land use is changed through Section 39A, large builders are brought in and crores of rupees are made in the process.”

Praising the determination of the protesters, Atishi said, “Attempts may have been made to intimidate people or lure them with money to end this movement. But you have remained firm in your resolve to save your village, your farms and Goa itself. I salute all of you for that courage. The Aam Aadmi Party stands with you in this struggle. There can be no hope from the BJP Government. The misuse of Section 39A is not limited to Karapur; it is happening across Goa.”

Atishi further stated, “In Goa, agricultural land is first purchased at low prices and then converted into mega projects through Section 39A. In almost every such case, a senior BJP leader is linked to the matter. As soon as an Aam Aadmi Party Government is formed in Goa, Section 39A will be repealed. Every project approved under it will be cancelled and Goa’s land will be returned to the people of Goa. Orders issued under Section 17(2) will also be revoked. In future, decisions on development projects will not be taken in consultation with politicians and builders, but only after consulting the people of the villages.”