MARGAO: In his first campaign outside Kerala and his first in Goa, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor ridiculed the BJP and countered numerous accusations being made by the saffron party against Congress, while also making promises to the Goan electorate about dual citizenship.Addressing a packed gathering in Verna, Tharoor with his eloquent speech said, “This Lok Sabha election is important and why people from not just Goa, but across the country should be given the freedom of choice to live their lives the way they want to, and not allow the government to have a say in such choices.”
Tharoor spoke about how the country was meant for everyone, stating that diversity was something the freedom fighters fought for, and the defence forces even laid down their lives for.
The senior Congressman cited examples of an onslaught of raids being conducted by the ED, IT, or CBI against anyone or any organisation, including the media, that dares to highlight the wrongdoing of the BJP government. “When I was growing up, no one discriminated against each other based on religion, caste, creed, or even which State that person was from, and all Indians were equal,” said Tharoor.
The MP from Kerala lamented that, “BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to make the country about one language, one religion, and a moralistic country where there will be one election for the entire nation with one ruler.”
Tharoor hit back at the trend of people being branded ‘anti-national’ and questioned what if the government doesn’t like what one has to say or has objections with their choice of food or faith. He added that no one should take away these rights. Expressing his dismay over usurping large tracts of villager’s land at Velsao, Tharoor said “The ‘unnecessary’ double-tracking project is for devastation; it will cause damage to the environment, forests, and heritage homes.”
Tharoor commented on an earlier speech made by Advocate Radharao Gracias about a legal solution he had formulated to fix the anti-defection law, and asked Gracias to hand him his notes and promised to take this to Delhi along with Captain Viriato Fernandes, the South Goa Congress candidate.
He slammed the turncoat MLAs who switched sides to the BJP after betraying the trust of the electorate who had voted for them based on promises made in the Congress manifesto.
Tharoor also backed Viriato’s demand for dual citizenship. He defended those Indian-origin and Goan-origin people who may have a different passport, as it helps them with employment and ease of travel between foreign countries, which he said was again linked to their jobs. However, their hearts still beat for their motherland, and they should not be denied dual citizenship, he asserted. He added how this could help the country bring in talented Indian-origin sportspersons too.
Tharoor then took on the BJP with light-hearted jabs that left the audience laughing. He recalled how upon landing in Goa at Dabolim airport, he was asked by media persons to reply to a comment made by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant that Congress won’t come to power for the next 50 years.
Tharoor said he told the media persons that the CM should change his astrologer.
