PANAJI
Strongly reacting to the whip issued by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asking its workers not to participate in any agitation on Medium of Instruction (MoI), Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) has decided to intensify its agitation and expose the BJP government. BBSM will begin its phase of decisive agitation from February.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji on Wednesday, BBSM Convener Subhash Velingkar said, “BJP workers are a part of this society and they are not satisfied. Now, the time has come for decisive agitation. From February, we will distribute a pamphlet explaining in detail how the BJP has betrayed the trust of the people. Also, corner meetings will be held at panchayat-level across the State.”
Stating that BBSM has not given up its principles, Velingkar said, “The demand that we had made in our 2012 agitation is still the same. It is BJP which has made a U-turn on its stand on MoI. It has turned the issue of grants into a political issue and used it to appease minorities.”
As part of the agitation, BBSM had also met the MLAs and submitted a five-page statement with a series of events with an aim to make them understand the gravity of the problem. Additionally, nearly 21 references were attached to this statement.
“Now there is no need of meeting the MLAs. They will realise when they will understand the difference in the number of voters. BJP has to yield, or else be ready to face it”, said Velingkar.
He also underlined the need to facilitate a dialogue with the people to expose the U-turn by the BJP-led government on MoI.
Reacting to the warning by BJP to its workers not to participate in any agitation on MoI, Uday Bhembre said, “I feel they fear our agitation. And if it is intensified, their condition will also be like the Digambar Kamat “ led government. Also there is some guilty consciousness about betrayal of trust of the people.”
Aravind Bhatikar said, “We have warned the government that if they do not change their policy and stop grants we will change them. We are still hopeful that they will stop the grants. If they don’t do so then their condition will be the same as the erstwhile Congress.”
