Team Herald
PANJIM: Retorting to the BJP’s constant attack on its Panjim by-poll candidate, Congress has said that in 2017, BJP had purified Atanasio alias Babush Monserrate and later certified him to be a clean man by awarding him the chairmanship of Greater Panaji Planning and Development Authority (GPPDA).
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar said that BJP is frustrated anticipating its defeat in the upcoming by-polls and thus has been trying to divert the attention of the people from issues plaguing the city. They pointed out that BJP had forgotten their ‘questions’ since 2017 when Babush was part of the ruling dispensation.
Reiterating that Babush’s candidature was based on the people’s demand, Chodankar said “Panjim seat is very important to us and we will form a government based on the people’s mandate, which BJP had robbed in 2017. We will take back all those who are certified by the people in the party fold and not just by the BJP. BJP has no right to raise questions of morality.”
BJP has been attacking Babush Monserrate’s candidature over the criminal cases pending against him including a case of alleged rape of a minor.
Speaking about the purification process of politicians by the BJP when it needs them, Girish said “In 2017, they resorted to Babush in Panjim because they needed him to win in Panjim and saw Babush as the threat in Manohar Parrikar’s victory. Later they gave him the chairmanship of GPPDA and certified that he was clean and granted his clean image state recognition. He was made GPPDA chairman by former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar.”
Questioning the grounds of BJP’s attack on Babush and posing questions of morality to Congress, Girish said that the BJP should remember that even in 2002, Babush was made a minister in Parrikar cabinet for the first time.
“So instead of talking about morals to ask, the present Chief Minister should ask his cabinet colleagues and check their morality status if they fulfill it before they can attack our Panjim candidate”, Girish added.
Expressing that confidence that Congress would form the government, Girish said that BJP supporters and Parrikar supporters are openly campaigning for the Congress candidate. “Parrikar’s closest supporters have come forward and have been added to our campaign team. There is a group, which has also gone to the GSM with (Subhash) Velingkar. So only a small group is left with them. Therefore there is frustration and Sidharth Kuncalienkar is unable to sync this. Since they don’t have answers to our questions, they are running away from the basic issues and diverting the attention of the people from the issues Congress has raised”, he stated.
