PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant travelled to Chhattisgarh a poll-bound State ruled by the Opposition Congress, where he threw the 'Sanatan Dharma' gauntlet at that State's chief minister Bhupesh Bhagel on Saturday.
The Goa chief minister will be in Chhattisgarh on a two-day tour participating in BJP activities there. Sawant hit out at the opposition INDIA bloc over the remarks of Tamil Nadu minister Dayanidhi Stalin against Sanatan Dharma and asked Bhagel to clarify his stand.
Sawant also took pot-shots at the Congress over corruption saying although it had a name-change from UPA to 'INDIA' alliance its intent and policy will not change and corruption end.
The Goa chief minister was addressing a press conference in Raipur city where the BJP has launched a yatra. He also accused the Bhagel government of graft saying Chhattisgarh was an ATM for the Congress and it now had another one in Karnataka.
"CM Bhupesh Baghel should clarify if they support the statement of their alliance partner, which talked about destroying Sanatan Dharma,” Sawant said referring to the controversy stirred up by the DMK leader Stalin recently comparing it with diseases like malaria and dengue, and calling for its “eradication”.
With crucial elections to five States due in December before the all-important 2024 Parliamentary polls, Sawant will be called by the party to tour these states. Last weekend he was in Madhya Pradesh along with Health Minister Vishwajit Rane where they visited the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain.
In Raipur on Saturday, Sawant accused the Bhagel government of failing to fulfil even 10 per cent of the promises made five years ago.
