PANAJI
The Congress on Friday filed a formal complaint before the Chief Electoral Officer, Ramesh Verma, IAS, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant of misrepresenting the "Constitution thrust on Goans' heads" comment of their South Goa candidate, Captain Viriato Fernandes.
The complaint has also named some other Goa cabinet ministers and legislators.
Congress State president Amit Patkar along with other leaders personally delivered the three-page complaint to Verma at the CEO's Altinho office and sought action against the BJP leaders.
Fernandes, the Congress said in its complaint, is a retired naval officer and a war veteran who served during the Kargil War. It added that Modi, Sawant and the other BJP leaders have spread wrong information by misinterpreting the speech so as to create a perception among the people that Fernandes has disrespected the Constitution.
Modi is also responsible for spreading the misinformation by distorting the incident in public rallies and so along with Sawant, immediate action must be taken against him as well, the Congress said.
Apart from Modi and Sawant, the Congress has also named BJP State president and Rajya Sabha MP, Sadanand Shet Tanawade, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, legislators Sankalp Amonkar and Krishna Salkar, besides BJP spokesperson Damodar Naik.
The controversy had sparked off after Sawant slammed Fernandes for his remark that the Indian Constitution was "thrust on our heads" after liberation which he made during a campaign meeting in Betalbatim.
Fernandes, who served in the Indian Navy for nearly three decades, however, accused Sawant of misinterpreting his comments and challenged him to a debate on the issue.
A day later Fernandes also made an identical charge against Modi and challenged him to a public debate as well, after the Prime Minister quoted the remark in his speech at a rally in Chattisgarh.
The BJP too has filed a formal complaint before the CEO against Fernandes accusing him of "insulting the Constitution" and has demanded cancellation of his candidature for the South Goa seat.
