Goa Congress accuses BJP of fascism

The Congress in Goa on Thursday accused the BJP of fascism after its state party president slammed his Congress counterpart for criticising Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and BJP's rule in the coastal state.

"The BJP is showing its true fascist colours by threatening our state president with physical harm for criticising the rule of the BJP-led coalition government. It is nothing short of dictatorship," Goa Congress spokesperson Urfan Mulla told reporters here.

"The BJP is losing its senses. They are unable to perform as a government and therefore trying to stifle criticism using threats," Mulla added.

Goa Bharatiya Janata Party President Vinay Tendulkar, at a public function in Panaji, had said that BJP workers would offer "prasad" to his Congress counterpart Girish Chodankar for unnecessarily criticising Parrikar, demanding the Chief Minister's resignation and slamming the BJP-led coalition government.

"Congress state president should remember, we had given 'prasad' before. We will give it again. He should be careful and not criticise the Chief Minister over his health and make baseless allegations against the government," Tendulkar said.

In 1998, workers of the BJP, then in opposition, had blackened the face of state Congress President Shantaram Naik, accusing him of heading a party which was delivering corrupt governance.

In a recent Facebook message, state BJP youth president Gajanan Tilve also warned the Congress President to "stay within his limits".

Parrikar's health has been a subject of political debate in the coastal state.

He returned earlier this month from the US, three months after being treated for pancreatic cancer.

While the Congress has asked Parrikar to resign and resume work after he fully recovers, the BJP has insisted that the Chief Minister was fit and capable of running state affairs.

--IANS

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