Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Congress leader Girish Chodankar has asked why the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has not condemned to date two issues of creating communal discord in Goa, the utterances of former RSS leader Subhash Velingkar about St Francis Xavier as well as Hindu organisations appealing for economic boycott of minority Muslims.
On the contrary, said CWC permanent Invitee and former President of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), the BJP Goa President Sadanand Tanavde has claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has commented on the Goan situation without knowing the facts.
Chodankar observed that Gandhi addressed three pertinent issues: the ongoing rampant destruction of Goa’s greenery and ecologically sensitive lands through the circumvention of laws; the public uproar over highly objectionable comments made by Hindutva leader Velingkar about ‘Goencho Saib’ of all faiths in Goa, and Hindutva organisations belonging to the Sangh Parivar publicly spreading communal hatred with an appeal to boycott hard-working Muslim traders.
“Are these not factual issues, Mr Tanavde?”, asked Chodankar while challenging the Goa BJP chief to come out openly and tell the public what incorrect statement was made by Gandhi. Is it not highly unconstitutional and damaging the communal harmony of Goa when some fanatics appeal to Indians not to buy anything from fellow Indians?, he added.
Rather than demanding police action against these anti-national elements, he pointed out that the ruling BJP has preferred to silence their own leaders, whether their own minister Alexio Sequeira on the DNA and Velingkar issue or Urfan Mulla on Canacona issue. Isn’t this enough proof that the ruling party is supporting and even encouraging the increasing communal hatred in the peaceful state of Goa by maintaining mysterious silence over these sensitive issues, he asked.
Chodankar also ridiculed Tanavde for saying that he is not aware of what transpired between Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Minister Vishwajeet Rane at a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the high command in the national capital recently.
“He is not aware of what is happening in his own Government & party, when he is the President of the ruling party. And he says that Rahul Gandhi is not aware of what is happening in Goa”, quipped the Congress leader.
Chodankar has also challenged the local BJP chief to come out openly with their stance on the ongoing illegal land deals by destroying Goa’s environment as well as the communal tensions being created either by Velingkar or the fanatic Hindutva organisations.