After shying away from criticising rebel RSS leader Subhash Velingkar and responding to the latter’s open assault on the functioning of the State BJP and the party’s alliance Government, top leaders, including Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Goa Chief Minister laxmikant Parsekar, launched a frontal assault on the RSS dissidents, exhorting workers to not shy away from slamming them in public.
Both Parrikar and Parsekar told party workers at a meeting in Panaji late on Saturday, that Velingkar was open game and that every barb and taunt made by the rebel Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader should be responded to, in full measure.
“He (Velingkar) has been stripped off his kavach kundals. If he says something against us, we will also respond in adequate measure,” Parsekar said.
Velingkar was sacked as the Goa vibhag pramukh of the RSS, following his constant criticism of the BJP-led government in Goa, especially Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, for what the rebel RSS leader claims, is the betrayal of a promise made to stop Government grants to English medium primary schools, most of which are run by a Society operated by the influential Roman Catholic Church in Goa.
The now former RSS chief is the co-convenor of the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch, which has been leading the attack against the BJP and Parrikar over the medium of instruction issue, which has been simmering for years now.
Two groups, Forum for Rights of Children to Education (FORCE) backed by the influential Roman Catholic Church and the Bharatiya Bh;asha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) supported by the RSS have been at loggerheads in Goa over the last few years, over the choice of language of instruction in junior schools.
While the former group backs English, the Velingkar-led faction prefers indigenous languages as an instructive medium in primary schools.
As convenor and spokesperson of the Manch, Velingkar, has also announced the formation of a new political party.
The new party is expected to be launched onOctober 2.
Velingkar who has been sangha chalak of the Goa region for more than two decades, has been credited with grooming generations of state Sangh leaders and political activists, the most prominent of which Parrikar himself, laxmikant Parsekar, former speaker Rajendra Arlekar, etc.
But Parrikar himself is currently in no mood to humour Velingkar, especially in view of the latter calling him names like ‘cheater’, ‘betrayer’ and a ‘bad pupil’.
“Even if others have lost their sense of discipline, I have not,” Parrikar in an obvious assault on Velingkar.
“I have been patient for the last six months, but I will respond to them if they continue bad mouthing us,” Parrikar said.
“We cannot let the talk of eliminating BJP from Goa to persist. We have to respond. Our workers will have to give a tit for tat,” Parsekar said.