Goa MOI issue: BJP says no differences with RSS

Panaji, Apr 10: BJP in Goa today struck a conciliatory note against the backdrop of RSS' criticism on the issue of medium of instruction in elementary education, saying the differences of opinion, if any, would be resolved.

"We are not having any differences with RSS on MOI issue. If at all there are some differences, they will be sorted out," state unit BJP president Vinay Tendulkar told reporters here.

The issue of medium of instruction and RSS' criticism of BJP came up for discussion at the party's Executive Committee meeting held here today.

The BJP in its 2012 Goa Assembly election manifesto had assured to give MoI status to regional languages - Konkani and Marathi.

Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), a social group backed by RSS, has demanded mother tongue as the MoI and sought that the grants given to schools teaching in English medium should be stopped.

Recently, Goa RSS head Subhash Velingkar had openly taken on former chief minister Manohar Parrikar for giving grants to schools with English as MoI.

The war of words escalated after BJP MP Narendra Sawaikar challenged Velingkar to contest election, following which BBSM burnt effigies of Sawaikar last week.

Tendulkar clarified that the grants for English medium schools will continue and at the same time BJP is firm that regional languages will continue to be MoI. "There will not be any change in MOI policy," he said.

Tendulkar said the BJP will kick off its 'Ghar Chalo Abhiyan' from next month in the coastal state which is going to polls next year.

He said under the drive they will visit all 40 constituencies and added that the saffron party is aiming to win at 26 Assembly seats.

"The Abhiyan would be different from 2012 polls this time. We will not focus anything negative against the Congress but instead would highlight the positives of the BJP-led government in the state," Tendulkar added.

PTI