Minorities can't be 'fooled' by BJP, says Goa Congress chief
What's the story
Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar has claimed that BJP president Amit Shah's call to party leaders to reach out to minorities is nothing but an attempt to fool them. However, the minorities cannot be "fooled", Chodankar said and reminded about BJP's criticism in the past of their eating and dressing habits. Chodankar also reminded how VHP called the minorities 'rahu-ketu' in Goa. Read here.
Claims
Shah asked party-leaders to stress on BJP's all-inclusive character: Naik
Shah last week asked the party leaders to reach out to minority communities to stress the "all-inclusive" character of the saffron party, Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik claimed yesterday. Naik also said that Shah was not specific about Goa when he spoke about minority communities during a closed door interaction with the BJP functionaries from the state on Saturday.
Statement
BJP remained silent when VHP called minorities 'rahu-ketu': Chodankar
Reacting to it, Chodankar, in a statement issued yesterday, said, "Minorities cannot be fooled and will not forget BJP's silence despite protests, when the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had called them 'rahu-ketu' in Goa on October 07, 2004." "The BJP was further exposed when it started attacking the lifestyle of minorities by suppressing their dressing and eating habits," he said.
Information
BJP, RSS ignored Francis and replaced Parrikar with Parsekar: Chodankar
Chodankar claimed that BJP and RSS ignored the then deputy CM Francis D'Souza for Goa chief minister's post when Manohar Parrikar was appointed the defense minister in 2014. The charge of the top post in Goa was then handed over to BJP MLA Laxmikant Parsekar.