MARGAO: The war-of-words between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) escalated on Friday.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar sent a clear message to the BBSM that the latter had not helped the BJP come to power in the last election. He has also asked the group not to disturb communal harmony in the State.
Addressing the media on Friday, Parsekar said that grants to English medium schools would continue, but they would not encourage English henceforth. He added that the government would give preference to teaching in the mother tongue.
Asked why there was no clear government stand on the issue and whether it would affect the BJP, Parsekar said, “No one should remain under the impression that the MoI agitation had helped the BJP to win. Inflation, fuel prices, and corruption of the former government were the major issues, and a promise to resolve those issues brought the BJP to power.”
“We believe ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, and my actions are not determined by the votes or on religious basis. Out of 21 constituencies, we found that in 16 constituencies, 25 per cent of the minorities had voted for us, which is a clear sign of the trust seen in our party,” said Parsekar.
He added, “We give preference to teaching in the mother tongue and we are supporting it in many ways. Changing the present setup is an unnatural thing to do. Having said that, we are not encouraging primary education in English.”
When asked about his warnings to party men to not speak about the issue, he said, “I didn’t say ‘don’t talk’, but what is spoken is twisted and presented to make it look bad, which shouldn’t happen. For example, the statement of Vishnu Wagh is right, but what Shripad Bhau wished to convey isn’t clear.”
