BBSM's doors are open for BJP legislators: Subhash Velingkar

Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) convener and rebel RSS leader Subhash Velingkar on Sunday said their doors are open for Goa BJP legislators if they want to join his soon-to-be-launched political outfit.

"Some BJP MLAs are not happy with the party's decision, their conscience does not permit them to accept what party has been saying. I feel that they should show the guts and come with us. Our doors are open for them. We will welcome them," Velingkar told PTI, after chairing the meeting of district and taluka level workers of BBSM on Sunday.

He also attacked Manohar Parrikar over his comments about being a "disciplined swayamsevak", saying the Defence Minister is wrong if he feels his actions (over medium of instruction issue when he was Goa CM) were of discipline.

Velingkar also hit out at Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and said they will lose their 'kavach kundals' (immunity) after the Goa Assembly elections.

The RSS had recently relieved its Goa Vibhag Sangh Chalak Velingkar, who has now formed a parallel outfit called RSS Goa Prant.

Velingkar had earlier announced that the BBSM would be floating a political party on October 2. The BBSM has been agitating demanding regional languages as Medium of Instruction in state's elementary education.

He claimed that the BJP is apprehending its defeat in the Goa polls due next year, and hence might try to pre-pone the election to November by keeping everyone guessing.

Reacting to yesterday's statement of Parrikar that he is a disciplined swayamsevak, Velingkar said, "Parrikar thinks himself as disciplined swayamsevak but we are standing against his discipline."

"We have to agitate because Manohar Parrikar committed all these mistakes. He is solely responsible for that. He did not take anyone into confidence. If he feels that his action is of discipline then he is wrong. Entire Goa is against him, that does not mean all people are indisciplined," he said.

Responding to Parsekar's statement that Velingkar has now lost his "kavach kundal" (immunity), the BBSM convener said, "My kavach kundal does not depend on the RSS post, I am swayamsevak for the entire life."

"Our kavach kundal is not of temporary nature. Their kavach kundals will be off after five months (when elections are held)," he said.

Velingkar equated the BBSM movement to that of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption crusade.

"This is agitation of the people. The support for the agitation is increasing with each passing day. In this agitation, 20 per cent are sangh swayamsevaks and 80 per cent are common people," he said.