The Panaji bypoll campaign heated up on Thursday with the BJP accusing the Congress of planting fabricated news on fake media platform, which suggests that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had given up on his poll campaign and was eying a berth in the Union Cabinet as Defence Minister.
Parrikar, who addressed the media today also said that complaints had been formally lodged with the poll authorities and the Crime Branch of the Goa Police vis a vis the fake news and added that the Congress was sweating with desperation and was facing a huge loss in the bypoll in the State capital.
“My opponents are so frustrated. They created a fake news and they tried to circulate it. We have complained to Crime Branch and Election Commission. According the information I have, the media house which has been quoted, they have also complained," Parrikar told reporters at the party's State headquarters in Panaji.
The 'fake news' item was circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp on Wednesday suggested that Parrikar had resigned to his electoral loss and was contemplating a return to national politics as Defence Minister, a position he vacated from earlier this year, when his party staked claim to form a coalition Government in Goa in March.
“These elections are important for me, but if I lose, I can always shift to Delhi as Defence Minister,” Parrikar has been quoted in the fake news article which was went viral on Wednesday, forcing the BJP to take formal action.
“An attempt has been made by circulating distorted and false news item in social media like Facebook, Whatsapp amongst other, to create falsehood, malign the image of our candidate Manohar Parrikar and to misguide the electorate of Panaji constituency,” reads the complaint which has been filed by the State BJP general secretary Pundalik Raut Dessai.
“The above false and distorted news is being circulated under the name of Prime News, Goa and unnamed press cutting,” the complaint further states.
Parrikar, a four-time Chief Minister and five-term MlA from Panaji faces Congress candidate Girish Chodankar and Anand Shirodkar of the Goa Suraksha Manch, a party mentored by former State Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Subhash Velingkar.
Parrikar however maintains that using unfair means like fake news, meant that his opponent had thrown in the proverbial towel.
“Basically it shows frustration of the opponent, that they are not getting response from people. After taking 108 small and big meetings, I am not just confident of winning, but a confidence of winning a record margin from Panjimites," Parrikar said.
“I am meeting people and I am asking them to elect me with a huge margin. Secondly, the rumour did not pick up because people in Panaji know my victory is sure. The only question mark which they have is what is the margin. Whether it is 6000, 8,000, 9,000. Some people say it is going to be 10,000,” Parrikar also said.
The Panaji by-poll is slated for August 23.