MAPUSA
In a scathing rebuke directed at the opposition Congress, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched a blistering attack on Friday, accusing the party of perpetuating governmental plunder and fostering religious divisions among the populace.
Sawant's remarks came during an address at a public election rally in Mapusa, where he shared the platform with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, cabinet ministers, and BJP's Lok Sabha candidates, alongside other party leaders.
Highlighting the contrast between Congress's alleged mismanagement and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's transformative infrastructure initiatives, Sawant decried the opposition's purported legacy of corruption and discord.
"For five decades, what has Congress offered this nation? While Congress's North Goa candidate, Ramakant Khalap, has been implicated in financial malfeasance, the party itself has exploited religious fault lines," Sawant asserted.
Expounding further, Sawant accused Congress of perpetuating communal divides along religious affiliations, contrasting this with Modi's focus on elevating India's infrastructural prowess over the past decade.
"While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spearheaded the creation of world-class infrastructure, Congress has remained mired in divisive politics," Sawant remarked, underscoring the BJP's commitment to progress over polarisation.
Asserting Congress's historical neglect of Goa's development, Sawant lamented the party's purported apathy towards the state's welfare during its five-decade-long tenure in power.
"Despite half a century of Congress rule in Goa and at the Centre, developmental endeavours were conspicuously absent, as the party prioritized personal enrichment, particularly for the Gandhi family," Sawant alleged.
Criticising Congress's candidate selection, Sawant singled out Ramakant Khalap for his alleged involvement in financial misconduct, citing his association with the Mapusa Urban Cooperative Bank.
Additionally, the Chief Minister condemned South Goa candidate Viriato Fernandes, accusing him of denigrating the legacy of Dr B R Ambedkar and his constitutional principles.
Sawant's scathing denunciation underscores the intensifying political rhetoric as Goa braces for pivotal electoral contests, with the BJP seeking to consolidate its support base against an embattled Congress.
