PANJIM: The opposition parties took on the BJP for “politicising the national games opening ceremony” and interestingly the much talked about purported ‘side-lining’ of North Goa MP and Union Minister Shripad Naik, affectionately known as “Bhau”.
Their grouse was his exclusion from the ceremonial chariot on which the PM, CM and BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade rode around the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Quepem Congress MLA Altone D’Costa said that what the government did during the opening ceremony of National Games was uncalled for. It was a sports event and the Prime Minister’s speech was like an election stunt.
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, IOA president P T Usha and both elected Goa MPs Naik and Sardinha were sidelined and Tanavade was included. The sports event was converted into a political rally.
Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao said, “Hum kare vahi kaida”.
“First of all, the platform of National Games is to be used for propagating sports, motivating sportspersons and promoting sports culture. Whatever is showcased as Swayampurna ferry by the Prime Minister is a misuse of the platform,” Yuri said.
Yuri further said, “The event being National Games, protocol demands that respect be given to MPs of the host State during the visit of the Prime Minister. The absence of the Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur is also a bad precedent. But, the culture of BJP is to destroy protocol and the established democratic norms.”
Former MLA and BJP State General Secretary Damu Naik said that though it was one of the best programmes, proper protocol was not maintained. This is elaborated in the other story in the box on page 1 next to this report.
Damu said, “It was one of the best programmes held in the State. Hosting the National Games and praising Goa's infrastructural work is very good. The Prime Minister's ranking among the leaders of the world is very high.
The Shripad Naik affair has also led the Bahujan Samaj to fume. Former BJP State spokesperson Dattaprasad Naik said, “Shripad Naik is the tallest leader in Goa today—a senior most elected representative in the State. There is nobody senior to him. He is the Union Minister representing Goa.
“I, as a youth from the Bahujan Samaj, feel that it is an insult to every Goan that Naik was not there with the Prime Minister on the vehicle. I am not saying who should be there and who should not be. But he should have been there,” Naik said.
Another former BJP spokesman Urfan Mulla however defended the party, saying the opposition has become issueless and is jealous of the popularity of BJP Goa President and the Chief Minister.
Former South Goa MP and BJP general secretary Narendra Sawaikar said, “A lot of infrastructure has taken place in Goa. Some of the infrastructure has been developed recently. For the last 10 years, Goa has been vying for National Games. But it is now because of Pramod Sawant’s government that the event is taking place here. On another matrix like education and health, Goa is giving good results.”
“Any statement of any political leader is taken from a political angle. These are all the issues concerning the government. It will definitely have an impact on people as well as State politics.”
BJP General secy Damu says protocol was not maintained as MP Shripad Naik was side-lined
PANJIM: In an interesting near outburst, State BJP General Secretary Damu Naik has elaborately expressed the unrest over what is being seen as a slight and side-lining of senior leader Shripad Naik during the opening ceremony of the National Games.
Naik was not on the ceremonial chariot carrying PM Modi, Chief Minister Sawant and BJP state president Sadanand Shet Tanavade. But Union Minister, North Goa MP and importantly the head of the Goa Olympic Association Shripad Naik was not on that ceremonial vehicle.
In an uncharacteristically strong statement Damu Naik, BJP state General Secretary, said, “Proper protocol was not maintained. The Prime Minister was having a round of the entire stadium with the Chief Minister and BJP president. Governor, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and our beloved leader and Union Minister Shripad Naik were there on the dais. Though it was a government programme it was not appropriate to sideline the Governor or Union Ministers,'' said Naik.
“As per social engineering, our local elected MPs should not have been sidelined. Everyone should be taken into consideration. Shripad Naik is the oldest and the tallest party leader. Whether he is competent or not, that is a different thing. After him nobody is there who can be the second face who can take the reins of the society. It is important to note that 45 per cent of the Hindus are from Bhandari Samaj. What I have learnt is that the instruction had come from the PM’s Office (PMO). But people make mistakes and blame higher ups because nobody will question them. It will hamper our society's composition,” he opined.
“There has to be some publicly accepted figure in the society. Now people have started talking about this and as a general secretary of the party, I got at least 40 calls. Today it was talk of the town,” he said.
“As far as the Prime Minister is concerned, he has his own charisma. Everybody loves him and wants to be part of his programme. But the war is between two or three people which gives us a big jolt. Now we will have to deal with society. After all, there should not be a situation like Karnataka here. Every time things are going in the wrong direction and the wrong picture is portrayed. Wrong narrative is set up by some of our members,” Naik said.