The Goa Government’s decision to axe Gandhi Jayanti from the official list of “commercial and industrial” holidays has sparked controversy with the Opposition as well as the ruling BJP’s own MlAs criticising the move.
The controversial notification issued in the State Government’s official gazette has dropped the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation from the list of nine “commercial and industrial” holidays, while adding an additional holiday for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations on September 18 instead.
While the Government and BJP’s official spokespersons were unwilling to comment on the controversy through the day, Chief Minister laxmikant Parsekar told The Pioneer that the deletion of Gandhi Jayanti from the list of holidays may either have been a mistake or mischief on part of the Congress party.
“The Government has no intention of dropping Gandhi Jayanti as a holiday. If it has happened it was either by mistake or due to some mischief planned by the Congress. There are (Zilla Panchayat) elections in Goa, the Congress will go to any level to create a controversy,” Parsekar said. later, BJP’s South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar also took to Facebook to comment on the controversy.
“The Government of Goa’s official calendar for the year 2015 published in January shows October 2 as a public holiday. Unnecessary, unsubstantiated controversy,” Sawaikar said.
However, the Congress has accused the BJP Government of dabbling in communal politics... and attempting to play down the significance of Mahatma Gandhi in contemporary India. Strongly opposing the State Government’s decision, senior Congress leader PC Chacko said: “BJP’s mindset is a very sick mindset. Can any State Government take a decision like thisIJ This kind of decision is anti-national.
The Central Government should immediately direct the State Government to correct this. I am still in shock after hearing about this. No Government in India has the right to do that. This is a very senseless decision which they have taken.”
Former Union Minister Anand Sharma also said no State Government can take such a step because it is a national holiday. “They can’t do it. Bapu is the Father of the Nation. Even last year children were asked to go to school on October 2,” Sharma, who is also Deputy leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said.
“This clearly shows the hidden agenda of the BJP Government. This seems like it is just the beginning. Hope the Government does not have holidays on Nathuram Godse’s birth anniversary in the future,” Congress spokesperson Durgadas Kamat told The Pioneer. Kamat said that the October 2 holiday had been a permanent feature in the list of “commercial and industrial” holidays up to 2014.
“We want a probe into how this deletion happened and the holiday must be restored,” Kamat said. The move has come in for criticism from within the BJP too, with North Goa Bharatiya Janata Party president Michael lobo dissenting with the axing of the holiday.
“I am shocked by this. You cannot disrespect the Father of the Nation because of all his contributions to India. This move is not fair. I will complain to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister about this and demand restoration (of the holiday),” lobo, a legislator from Calangute, a coastal constituency in North Goa added.
“What we are claiming is that Gandhi Jayanti has been dropped from the commercial and industrial holidays, not from the list of Government holidays,” Kamat said. The Congress has also promised to take the issue to Parliament now, with Congress Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik demanding an explanation from Home Minister Rajnath Singh.