Previous Cong govt responsible for MOI mess in Goa: Parrikar

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today blamed the erstwhile Congress government in Goa for "messing up" with the issue of choice of medium of instruction (MOI) for schools in the state.
He also underlined that mother-tongue will remain as the medium of instruction for students.
The former state chief minister also asked the BJP workers to not attend any meetings where the state government is criticised over the MOI policy.
"The entire MOI issue was messed up by the previous Congress-led state government which went on giving permissions (to open) English medium private schools and also allowed these 135 schools to change their MOI," Parrikar said while addressing a gathering of the party workers here.

The government recently decided to continue giving grants to the 135 English medium schools. The move has caused a lot of heartburn among various sections.
In an apparent reference to the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), backed by BJP before 2012 Assembly polls but which has now turned into the critic over the MOI policy issue, Parrikar said the BJP workers should disassociate themselves from forums that slam the government.

"I know sometimes workers do not know which meeting to attend and which not to. But they should realise that certain issues are being politicised," he added.
Parrikar, under whose tenure as CM the MOI policy was announced, said, "No worker should be part of the meeting that criticises the government over its policy".

BBSM has been attacking government on MOI, alleging that the government has done a U-turn on the issue.
However, Parrikar said, "We reiterate our stand that mother-tongue will be the medium of instruction. Our stand will not change. But if I discontinue grants to 135 schools, we will have teachers from those schools who will be in surplus".
He said the government has decided against giving grants to new English medium schools.