Viriato dares PM to debate on issue
PANAJI
Chief Minsiter Pramod Sawant took to microblogging site 'X', formerly Twitter to slam Capt Viriato Fernandes and the Congress party for the comment.
“The remarks made by the Congress candidate for South Goa, who asserts that Goans were forced to adopt the Indian Constitution, horrify me. The belief held by our independence fighters that Goa is an integral part of India was unwavering,” Sawant wrote.
He went on to add: “Congress needs to put an immediate halt to this irresponsible Bharat Todo politics. Our democracy is in danger because of Congress.”
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to Captain Viriato Fernandes' comment at an election rally in Chhattisgarh and said that Congress was making an “a calculated move to break the nation”.
But Fernandes stood his ground and alleged that Modi had “misinterpreted” his comments even as he challenged the Prime Minister to an open debate on the issue when he comes to Goa.
“Congress has now started another big game. First, the Congress MP from Karnataka said that South India would be declared a separate country. Now, the Congress candidate from Goa is saying that the Constitution of India does not apply to Goa. The candidate is saying clearly that the Constitution was ‘forced’ on Goa and that he had told this to the ‘shehzada’ of Congress.”
Responding to Modi’s remarks, Fernandes said:“I am ready for an open debate with the PM when he comes to Goa. You are challenging a soldier who has served for 26 years in the Indian Navy. When I entered the Navy, I took an oath on the very Constitution that you are trying to amend…”
