Team Herald

PANJIM: Goa Forward Party (GFP) President Vijai Sardesai on Friday said, his party would quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP, if the latter does anything that amounts to fascism.

Sardesai was responding to the article published in the pastoral periodical of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, ‘Renewal Novsornni Renovocao’, which has compared the current NDA rule to Nazism.

Sardesai, who is also the Town and Country Planning Minister in the Manohar Parrikar-led government, said that the writer is exaggerating the issue.

“If the NDA government does something which actually amounts to fascism, we are not here permanently glued to the BJP. We are glued to an individual. We are saying that in the present circumstances (Manohar) Parrikar is in the best position to deliver and also to protect secularism and communal harmony,” he stated.

He further said that the writing of one person would not affect those supporting GFP. “The Church is also a democratic body and the church is not fascist. Everything that is written in a bulletin need not be endorsed by the top leadership of the Church. I have a significant section of the Christian population in my constituency who do not believe in what has been written,” he added. He also said that GFP will not affirm everything that the BJP does.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, when asked to comment on the issue, said, “I don’t want to comment on the article. But if anyone studies the history of Germany, he will know the contradictions.”

Asked if the present campaign of the by-election in Panjim was being marred by communal colour, Parrikar firmly responded “No!”