Green activists, pop singer Remo pep up AAP campaign in Goa

Panaji, Apr 7: Prominent environmentalists in

are rallying around Aam Aadmi Party candidates for forthcoming Lok Sabha polls while pop singer Remo Fernandes has penned a "peppy" jingle in Konkani for the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.

Claud Alvares, director of environmental group Goa Foundation, was seen going around with AAP's North Goa candidate Dattaram Desai in an open jeep in the city this morning. Alvares had hit the headlines after his group filed a petition in the supreme court against illegal mining in the state.

The apex court imposed an interim ban on the export and fresh extraction of ore from Goa, in November 2012. AAP's Goa unit president Walmiki Naik said other green activists, including wildlife conservationist Talullah D'Silva and renowned anti-mining activist Abhijeet Prabhudesai, have also pledged their support for the party candidates.

A number of environmental activists attended the meeting held here to decide the AAP manifesto, he said. AAP has fielded Swati Kerkar from South Goa. "Alvares has been wrongly labelled as anti-mining activist. He is pro-legal mining and pro-sustainable mining activist," Naik said.

Remo Fernandes pens a peppy jingle for the AAP

AAP has announced its mining policy which speaks of investing the money earned from exports for the welfare of people dependent on this industry. Naik said AAP felt that money should not go into hands of "capitalists" but to those dependent on this industry.

AAP's campaigning for the April 12 polls got a boost as Remo has come up with a "peppy" jingle for the Arvind Kejriwal-led party. Through the jingle is in Konkani, Remo, through his signature singing style, has appealed to people to "sweep the poll using broom".

"AAP has been missing Remo in the campaign as he withdrew himself from politics just little before the campaigning reached a peak. Wish he was there with us during the campaign," Naik told

PTI