Team Goemkarponn
DABOLIM: A fresh political controversy erupted on Thursday after a purported tweet attributed to Capt. Viriato Fernandes claiming that Dabolim Airport would be shut “as early as tomorrow” was circulated on social media, prompting the South Goa MP to categorically dismiss it as fake.
In a strongly worded statement addressed to “Dear Goenkars,” Fernandes alleged that the post was fabricated to mislead the public and malign his stand on the future of Dabolim Airport. He accused the BJP and its supporters of circulating a doctored image designed to resemble a genuine tweet from his verified account.
“The BJP and its agents have fallen to another low… a post to show a fake tweet purportedly from my account saying that Dabolim airport is being closed from tomorrow,” Fernandes stated. He maintained that the viral post was fictitious and intended to create confusion among Goans.
The controversy stems from an image circulating online that shows two posts — one labelled “Original” and the other “Fake” — both attributed to Fernandes. The allegedly fake version claims that the Goa government may shut Dabolim Airport imminently and urges Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to intervene.
Fernandes asserted that his ongoing campaign to oppose any move to shut down Dabolim Airport has unsettled political opponents. “Our fight in successfully exposing the BJP’s alleged attempt to close the Dabolim airport through the backdoor has made them come out with such fake and fictitious tweets,” he said.
He further declared that he would continue to oppose any attempt to close the airport. “We will not allow Dabolim to close down, never,” he added.
The BJP has not yet issued an official response to the allegations at the time of going to press.
