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BJP brought growth, others promise fake freebies: Shah

ByGerard de Souza, Panaji
Jan 30, 2022 11:42 PM IST

Goa goes to the polls on February 14 and results will be announced on March 10. For the first time, the BJP is fielding candidates in all 40 constituencies and hoping to retain power for a third term running.

Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday slammed the Opposition for promising “fake freebies” ahead of elections, adding that only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ensured development in the coastal state.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant during door-to-door campaign for the upcoming Goa Assembly Election, in Sanvordem on Sunday. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant during door-to-door campaign for the upcoming Goa Assembly Election, in Sanvordem on Sunday. (ANI)

“The new parties coming to Goa are only promising fake freebies before elections. They know they will not form the government,” said Shah during a public rally in South Goa’s Sanvordem. “The BJP has done a lot of work for developing Goa’s infrastructure. I want to ask Congress leaders what they did for the state when they were in power?,” he asked.

Goa goes to the polls on February 14 and results will be announced on March 10. For the first time, the BJP is fielding candidates in all 40 constituencies and hoping to retain power for a third term running.

Taking a swipe at the Congress, Shah said the Congress leadership sees Goa only as a holiday resort, the home minister said. “Their leaders take a lot of holidays.”

“Rahul Baba cannot run the country... He is only suffering from Modi phobia. From the time he wakes up in the morning, he is only thinking of Modi.”

The Congress party failed to contain terrorism from across the border, the home minister said at multiple gatherings in Goa during his day long visit, besides also campaigning briefly door to door in several constituencies. “For 10 years the Sonia-Manmohan government was running and from Pakistan Alia, Malia and Jamalia used to sneak in to behead our soldiers, and nothing used to stir the Delhi leadership. It was because of vote bank politics,” Shah added.

“When the Modi government came, there was an attack in Uri, Pulwama. But then they realised that the Manmohan government had moved out and it was Modi now in power... In 10 days, a surgical strike and an air strike. Did you ever think this would happen before?”

“In 2013-14, 432 crore was given to Goa. In the last budget, Goa was given 2,567 crore. This is the commitment the BJP has for the small but dear state.”

Targeting the Aam Aadmi Party and the Trinamool Congress, that are hoping to make political inroads in the coastal state, Shah said “other political parties who have come from Delhi and Bengal”.

“Some (parties) want to become all-India parties and hence want to contest from Goa. Someone else wants to open their account. They cannot form a government. Only BJP can form a stable government and hence we ask for your blessings.”

Unless there is political stability, there can be no development, the home minister said.

He also said that Goa’s mining industry will now work with renewed vigour after the polls under the BJP governance.

The Supreme Court in 2018 stopped the renewal of mining leases and said that leases and environmental clearances will have to be granted afresh.

Reacting to Shah’s remarks, Congress’ Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao said: “Amit Shah doesn’t know the contribution of Congress and Gandhi’s family to Goa. It was Indira Gandhi who decided that Goa needs a referendum, an opinion poll on whether to choose to be with Maharashtra or not. Rajiv Gandhi gave Goa statehood.”

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