PANAJI
Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch on Tuesday said it has an “option” for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming assembly poll if the State government does not act wisely on the issue of Medium of Instruction (MoI). It, however, did not spell out that option, saying it will be disclosed at the right opportune time.
Reiterating its demand, BBSM has set a deadline for the government to stop grants to the 132 minority-run English medium primary schools from the academic year 2016-2017 onwards, failing which it has threatened to intensify
its agitation.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, BBSM leader Uday Bhembre said, “It is a misunderstanding of Manohar Parrikar that we do not have an option for the BJP. Didn’t we provide an option for the Congress in the 2012 Assembly poll? It was to our bad luck that the option we provided was full of lies. Now, too, we have an option. The right time to announce it will come shortly as presently Goa’s politics is in flux. But time will come when we will have to keep that option and move forward if the State government does not act wisely.”
When asked if the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh will support BBSM if it finds an option for the BJP, Subhash Velingkar said, “How can I tell whether the Sangh will be with us? In individual capacity RSS workers strongly support what they feel is correct. This is not the platform to discuss commitment of the RSS.”
In its next phase of agitation, BBSM has decided to hold constituency-wise public meetings wherein local MLAs will be invited and asked to clear their personal stand on the issue of MoI.
The series of meetings will begin from CM Laxmikant Parsekar’s Mandrem constituency on April 24. The other meetings scheduled are “ April 30 in Sankhali, May 8 in Shiroda, May 15 in Sanguem and May 22 in Mayem.
“As regards Mandrem constituency is concerned, we have already given an invite to the CM on Tuesday, which is well in advance. So there should be no excuses for him not to attend the meeting,” said Velingkar.
