Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took a swipe at former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for ‘failing’ to liberate Goa soon after India achieved independence from the British.
The Prime Minister claimed that Nehru allowed freedom fighters to be killed by the Portuguese police without offering any assistance. PM Modi was addressing a rally at an open ground in Mapusa town of North Goa on Thursday.
“Many people do not know about the fact that Goa became independent 15 years after independence of India. It had to stay enslaved for 15 years more. India had a force; it had the army, a strong navy. What could have been done in a few hours, the Congress delayed for 15 years. The people of Goa continued to fight for their freedom, satyagrahis braved bullets, and continued to tolerate atrocities but the Congress government did not help them,” the Prime Minister said.
“The first Prime Minister of the country Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru spoke from the Red Fort and you can listen to his speech on YouTube. He said from the Red Fort that he could not send the army to help the satyagrahis, who were fighting and freeing Goa. That means you do what you want, if you want to die, die, live if you want to live. This is what he did! This is how the Congress treated Goa and it continues to treat it now,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“The first Prime Minister of the country Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru spoke from the Red Fort and you can listen to his speech on YouTube. He said from the Red Fort that he could not send the army to help the satyagrahis, who were fighting and freeing Goa. That means you do what you want, if you want to die, die, live if you want to live. This is what he did! This is how the Congress treated Goa and it continues to treat it now,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}The Prime Minister praised the work done by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and said that the fight in these elections was between the “development-oriented BJP and the instability-oriented Congress.”
“Goa has decided that this wave of development, good administration will not slacken. Under the young leadership of Pramod Sawant, this development yatra to Goa’s golden future will continue,” he added.
The Prime Minister also hit out at the Trinamool Congress, which has re-entered the state and is hopeful of opening its account.
“People in Goa these days are shocked at the new faces. They are looking at some political parties who believe that Goa is a launchpad for themselves and their politics. Such parties have no idea about the emotions of the people of Goa. These parties have no agenda, no vision; they do not even have an understanding of Goa. They have come here, but these parties do not even know what announcements to make. Therefore, they are making assurances which have been already implemented by the BJP,” he said.
“The people of Goa have told these parties to keep their violence, their riots, to themselves. Let Goa walk the path of progress in peace,” he added.
Earlier in the day Union Minister of State for Tourism and North Goa MP Shripad Naik told the meeting that new entrant Trinamool Congress has tried to create another Pakistan in West Bengal by providing shelter to Bangladeshi Rohingyas.
“This Trinamool Congress has tried to create another Pakistan in Bengal. In the hope of votes, they have allowed Bangladeshi Rohingyas...They do not worry about the country. They worry about themselves,” Naik said.
Goa goes to polls on February 14 along with Uttarakhand while the counting will be held on March 10.