TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Taking strong objection to Congress spokesman Babu Azgaonkar’s statement that many males had attended Modi’s Sunday rally in burqas, the BJP on Wednesday demanded an apology from the Congress leader or brace up to face action from the party’s mahilas.
Addressing the media along with party’s minority leader Sheikh Jina, BJP mahila vice-president Nassema Syed said Babu has insulted Muslim women by making the allegations. She also took exception to Azgaonkar’s remarks that Goan Muslim women do not wear burqas, saying Goan Muslim women also wear burqas in large numbers. “Azgaonkar should tender an apology on his statement”, she said, adding that the BJP had never opposed Muslim women from wearing burqas.
BJP Navelim mahila leader and former Rumdamol sarpanch Sofia Riyaz Sheikh said that politicians should not stoop to low levels by heaping insults on Muslim women.
Launching a tirade against the former panchayat minister, BJP minority leader Sheikh Jina reminded Azgaonkar that he had got elected with the support of Muslim women. “It is sad that Azgaonkar has targeted Muslim women. Burqa belongs to our religion. He should understand the importance of burqa for Muslim women”, Jina said.
He said that Azgaonkar has lost support of the Muslim community over the years, be it at Babu Nagar or at Gandhi market, with members of the community now realising that they were only used by the former minister for his selfish ends.
“Today, hardly a handful of Muslims are supporting Azgaonkar in the Gandhi market”, he said, adding that Azgaonkar
has been rejected by the people after realising
his selfish politics.
