Disgruntled Goa Congress woman, Valanka Alemao, who has been suspended from the party has accused the party State unit’s top brass including AICC observer Digvijay Singh of harassing and threatening her. The allegations came a day after she was divested of her office on charges of indiscipline.
“Digvijay is the one who was like my mentor and said that we want people like you to come ahead and today Digvijay himself is telling me… if you resign it is good for your future or else you watch what is going to happen. I really don’t know what to say”, Alemao told reporters.
She also claimed that she was verbally abused by the State Pradesh Congress committee president John Fernandes and has said that she will approach Congress president Sonia Gandhi for “justice” and expose the Congress party’s hypocrisy.
“When he (Fernandes) was sitting outside AK Antony’s office, he (Fernandes) and the south Goa MP candidate Aleixo Reginaldo were using words like… very abusive language. I can’t even use such terminology on national television”, Alemao said.
“I expect my party High Command, especially Sonia Gandhi to take up for a woman like me who looks up to her and I expect Rahul Gandhi to look into the matter. If action is not taken against these people, then I am not one of those who will keep quiet”, Alemao added, threatening to file a complaint against the harassment meted out to her.
A Congress spokesperson, speaking on behalf of Fernandes has dismissed the claims calling them an attempt to get “cheap publicity” and has demanded that she apologise to Singh for her remarks against the All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Goa.
She said that the party’s hollow claim to empower women was exposed through sacking the only woman Youth Congress State president in the country. Alemao, daughter of former Chief Minister Churchill Alemao was appointed State Youth Congress president in August last year. But, the role of the father-daughter came under cloud during the lok Sabha 2014 elections.
Churchill Alemao quit the party and contested as a rebel candidate from South Goa, damaging the chances of the Congress’ official candidate Aleixo Reginaldo. Valanka was also accused of not campaigning for Reginaldo who was contesting from the South Goa seat. The party’s official spokesperson Durgadas Kamat has called the charges “baseless”.
“The suspended person should clarify when John Fernandes and Reginaldo lourenco met her to abuse her verbally. She should give a time, date of meeting and the place where she was (verbally) abused”, Kamat said. Defending Singh, Kamat said the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister was a statesman and known for decency in political life.
“We condemn such baseless allegations about our national leader. These charges against all three of them should be proved or else a public apology should be given”, Kamat said.