Sena backs sacked RSS Goa unit chief

Mumbai, Sep 2: Sacked Goa RSS unit chief Subhash Velingkar has received support from the Shiv Sena, which said he has done no crime by demanding that regional languages be promoted in Goa schools.

Sena said the BJP government came to power in Goa on the back of its election promise of promoting regional languages, but reneged from it now.

"If he (Velingkar) asked the government to not give grants to English medium schools and promote Konkani and Marathi, what crime has he done? When (Defence minister) Manohar Parrikar was Leader of Opposition, he had demanded the same thing from then Congress government," it said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana' today.

"Parrikar, with help from Velingkar had also initiated a movement to press for their demands which resulted in them getting the reigns of power. But they (the BJP) went back on their words and supported English medium schools. They have broken their promise," it said.

Sena said the recent events in Goa were a classic example of "attempting to bury the movement" to promote one's local language and claimed that the state government there was "plagued by corruption, adultery and anarchy."

"If on one side sympathy is being shown for Baluchistan, how correct is it to cut the feathers of a bird that is toiling hard to promote local language in one's homeland. This is an attempt to murder Goa's culture," the BJP ally said.

Attacking the Goa government on the issue of rising number of casinos and gambling, Sena said it will need to answer people in the upcoming election if it has no connivance with the drug mafia that is selling drugs freely in the state.

"The BJP had said if it came to power, it would put an end to casinos and gambling dens. But their number has only increased. The government allows all this to happen but Velingkar was termed a criminal. Not only the Goa CM, but even his remote controller in Delhi needs to answer what crime did he do or what was his fault," it said.

RSS on Wednesday removed Velingkar as its Goa chief as he had crossed swords with ruling BJP government demanding the promotion of local languages in schools.

Velingkar subsequently decided to float a parallel unit and said he and his supporters would function independently of the parent body till the 2017 Assembly polls.

PTI