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It’s stable BJP vs unstable Congress: Amit Shah in Goa

Union home minister Amit Shah while addressing a public rally in Goa said that this time the BJP workers are working for a hat-trick in the state.

Updated on: Feb 9, 2022, 22:37:24 IST
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PANAJI: In Goa, it is a choice between a stable Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and an unstable Congress, Union home minister Amit Shah said while addressing a public rally in the state on Wednesday.

Union home minister Amit Shah spent the day campaigning door to door in the Bicholim constituency in North Goa and urged the people of the state to vote for the BJP. (ANI Photo)
Union home minister Amit Shah spent the day campaigning door to door in the Bicholim constituency in North Goa and urged the people of the state to vote for the BJP. (ANI Photo)

Shah, who spent the day campaigning door to door in the Bicholim constituency in North Goa, urged the people of the state to vote for the BJP.

“According to me, there are two options. On the one hand there is the Congress party led by Rahul Gandhi and BJP which functions under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The people of Goa have witnessed both governments. The Congress rule was marked by instability and anarchy. BJP’s government was about stability and development. This time all BJP workers are working for a hat-trick in Goa,” Shah said urging the voters to give the BJP an unprecedented third consecutive term in the state.

“There are a lot of small parties which have come here. I want to tell you, these parties have a history. Wherever they were in power, they fought with the Centre. Modiji used to send a scheme, it did not percolate (to the people),” he added.

“I want to give the example of Bengal. Modiji gave a scheme worth Rs. 5 lakh for health care funded by the central government (Ayushmann Bharat), but they did not implement it. Why? Because it would make Modiji popular. They started triggering a fight. Today, the people of Bengal do not benefit from the PM Ayushman Bharat scheme,” he said.

“ ₹6,000 for farmers were introduced by Modiji. Goan farmers get it, but farmers in Bengal do not get it,” he said whilst also urging people not to vote for BJP’s former ally in government, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, which has now aligned with the Trinamool Congress (TMC). “Voting for MGP means voting for TMC,” Shah said.

Shah also reiterated the party’s narrative that on account of Nehru, Goa had to wait 15 years after the rest of India to be freed from the colonial yoke.

“Goa got independence after a lot of sacrifice and struggle. It took a lot of time for Goa to be independent. Yesterday, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking to Parliament, raised this issue. Who is responsible for the delay in Goa’s independence? History is witness that if Jawaharlal Nehru’s leadership was decisive, then soon after India got independence on August 15, 1947, Goa should have been liberated,” Shah said.

It is Shah’s second trip to Goa involving door to door campaigning for the party’s candidates. He earlier visited villages in the Sanvordem constituency.

Goa will go to the Assembly polls on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

  • Gerard de Souza
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Gerard de Souza

    Gerard de Souza is a Special Correspondent based in Goa and has been reporting on and about issues concerning the state and the wider western coast of India for over 18 years. His wide range of stories covers politics, crime, environment and tourism-related concerns emerging from India’s smallest state. Born and brought up in Goa, he has a deep understanding of the former Portuguese enclave’s evolution from a laidback collection of idyllic villages that first drew flower power generation of counter culture enthusiasts to its shores to one that has become synonymous in Indian popular culture with an aspirational holiday, seeing the best (and worst) that holidayers have to offer. He also keenly follows criminal trials. Most notably, he covered the trial surrounding the killing of Scarlett Keeling, a British teenager found dead on Anjuna beach, and that of Danielle McLaughlin similarly killed in south Goa, among others. He authored the book ‘Crimes of Passion: When Desire Turns Deadly,’ chronicling cases of romance turning to rage and murder. A graduate of Goa University, he learnt the trade on the job and has experience on both the reporting and editorial sides of the profession. When not sniffing around for a worthy headline, he likes to spend time outdoors to help ensure his heart is always in the right place.Read More