Revival plan of ‘Fontainhas Festival’ brings out RSS-BJP rift in CCP poll
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 05 March 2016 15:56 IST
Differences between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party have now become public on the eve of election of City Corporation of Panaji, scheduled tomorrow.
The issue is revival of Fontainhas Festival, mentioned prominently in the manifesto of BJP-supported Panaji First.
Subhash Velingkar, Goa chief of the RSS, has condemned this promise made by the ruling BJP.
“I am confident that people of Panaji will take note of this plan to revive a pro-Portuguese festival mentioned in the election manifesto”, he told goanews.com.
But has the RSS told the Parivar cadres not to vote for the BJP panel?
“We never issue any fatwa, to support any party during any election. We make our position clear. People are free to think and vote”, he said.
Siddharth Kuncalienker, BJP’s Panaji MLA, however has refused to comment on Velingkar’s outburst against the Fontainhas Festival.
“He is a very senior person and I would not like to comment on his views”, he told goanews.com, when contacted.
Though defence minister Manohar Parrikar’s successor in Panaji felt that Fontainhas Festival is a minor issue, Velingkar feels otherwise.
He recalls that the heritage festival was started during BJP’s last regime in 2007, when the Deshpremi Nagarik Samiti, comprising of RSS and freedom fighters had even broken the name plates put up by the CCP, glorifying Portuguese legacy.
As a result, four persons – freedom fighter Nagesh Karmali, Parivar members Vilas Satarkar and Rajendra Velingkar as well as Datta Palayekar – had to face a court case, in which finally they were acquitted.
“The festival reflected nothing but Portuguese culture due to which we had opposed it”, says Velingkar.
Rudresh Chodankar, a resident of Fontainhas-Mala and a local Congress leader, has also opposed revival of the festival.
“It disturbs privacy of the locals and benefits only commercial interest of a few”, he comments.
After Velingkar’s outburst against the BJP’s plan to revive the heritage festival, the Panaji legislator has preferred not to comment on the issue, at least for one day, till the election gets over tomorrow.
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