PANAJI
AAP leaders Amit Palekar, Rajdeep Naik and Nonu Naik condemned the statement by BJP against the Bhandari Samaj after AAP national convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had a meeting with the Gomantak Bhandari Samaj at their head office during his two-day visit.
In a press release, AAP stated that while addressing media on Tuesday, Palekar said, "Till date BJP has been using Bhandari Samaj to settle their politics. Kejriwal was here to meet the people of the Bhandari Samaj and listened to their grievances. It was not a political meet. BJP used the divide and rule tactics within Bhandari Samaj to settle their agenda. We condemn the statement by senior BJP leaders over Kejriwal meeting members of the Bhandari Samaj."
"There is a saying in Konkani, 'stones are thrown on the tree on which mangoes are grown more'. Currently, AAP is seen as a platform to address issues of the common man, and that's why there is a fear in the BJP leaders. That's why they are criticising everything what AAP has been doing. But, the Bhandari Samaj are educated and know the truth. Therefore, the BJP should stop playing caste politics here," Palekar said further.
"The ruling party is scared of the Aam Aadmi Party and that is why two senior leaders are holding a press conference. The Bhandari community has been demanding many things for a long time but the government has always ignored them. Now that the elections are approaching, the Bhandari community is remembered by the BJP," said Nonu Naik, member of the AAP Goa Campaign Committee.
Rajdeep Naik, Vice President of AAP Goa Campaign Committee said, "BJP used the people of the Bhandari Samaj for their benefit. Till now, except Ravi Naik, nobody from the community has gotten the position of CM of the state. BJP only knows divide and rule tactics."
