PANAJI: The Goa BJP has condemned Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s “Modi ka baap bhi jayega” remark directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an event in Patna, Bihar, on Sunday, accusing the Congress of resorting to personal attacks out of political frustration.
BJP Goa president Damodar Naik said Congress leaders had repeatedly targeted Modi with abusive remarks since 2014, citing statements such as “Maut ka Saudagar” and “Chowkidar Chor Hai”. “The Congress’s sole agenda is attacking the BJP and undermining our core strength, our honour and self-respect,” Naik said. He said the BJP strongly condemned Kharge’s comments and that party workers would not tolerate such insults.
Naik was addressing the media today ahead of BJP National President Nitin Nabin’s two-day visit to Goa, beginning tomorrow. Nabin is scheduled to chair a day-long State Executive Committee meeting to discuss organisational strengthening, governance issues and political and social resolutions.
Naik said the meeting would reinforce coordination among party workers, office-bearers and various organisational wings. He added that senior BJP functionaries, including Joint General Secretary (Organisation) Shiv Prakash, Goa election in-charge Bharati Pawar and co-in-charge Anil Antony, had been working to strengthen the party’s network in the state. According to Naik, the BJP has around 4.5 lakh registered primary members across 1,731 polling booths in Goa. He said the party was focused on taking the government’s development initiatives to the public through its grassroots network.
Responding to allegations by the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) that the BJP was attempting to split votes, Naik rejected the accusations. He also dismissed allegations that the BJP engineered splits in opposition parties or offered bribes of Rs 3 crore, saying opposition groups routinely blamed the BJP for their internal disputes over money and power. Naik also criticised the Congress’s ‘Goy Rakhonn Yatra’, describing it as an attempt to revive the party’s political fortunes. He alleged that Congress associates had been involved in the sale of village lands and institutional properties in 1998, 2009 and 2011, and said the BJP would place documentary evidence before the public.
With the next Assembly elections approaching, Naik said the BJP’s priority was to consolidate its position across all 40 constituencies. He dismissed speculation about leadership changes and seat arrangements, saying it was too early to comment on such matters. When asked whether former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar would rejoin the BJP during Nabin’s visit, Naik said discussions were ongoing and a decision would be taken at the appropriate time.
He said the BJP’s development agenda under Prime Minister Narendra Modi was guided by the philosophy of Antyodaya and called for unity among those who shared the party’s ideology. Naik added that the party had reached out to former associates and workers, some of whom had already returned. However, he stressed that joining the party could not be conditional on receiving an election ticket. “The party decides tickets strictly on winning capacity, voter acceptability, and merit,” he said, adding that the contributions of workers who had stood with the BJP since 2012 would be respected.
