Goa CM Pramod Sawant furious at GFP leader's communal comments; terms it 'intolerance'

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday cited intolerance as reports claim that a Goa Forward Party (GFP) leader compared West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to Goddess Durga. This development comes ahead of the 2022 Goa Legislative Assembly Elections which the Trinamool Congress (TMC) had declared to contest last month. Reports have suggested that the GFP is likely to join hands with the TMC to contest the polls next year.

CM Sawant furious at GFP leader's comparisons; recalls Bengal bypoll violence

While condemning the comments made by GFP working president Kiran Kandolkar on Saturday, Goa CM Pramod Sawant attested to the fact that comparing West Bengal's Chief Minister to Goddess Durga will not be tolerated by the citizens of Goa. Speaking to PTI, he said, "You cannot compare Goddess Shantadurga with a human being or someone who committed atrocities on women." Here, Goa CM Sawant was referring to the post-poll violence that the state of West Bengal had witnessed after the TMC came to power in 2021. Sawant while charging the TMC for not maintaining decorum, made allegations against the party 'butchering people after the West Bengal polls.'

GFP president Kiran Kandolkar drags in communal angle; plans to eliminate BJP govt

GFP working president Kiran Kandolkar on Saturday indicated that the party was holding talks with the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in a bid to ally for the 2022 Goa legislative assembly elections. While projecting his plans for the GFP, Kandolkar went on to refer to Bengal CM Banerjee as Goddess Durga further attesting that the latter would help eliminate the 'Bhasmasur' BJP government.

Goa polls

In the 2017 Goa Assembly polls, BJP suffered a big blow in the absence of its stalwart leader Manohar Parrikar as it could win only 13 seats in contrast to Congress whose candidates won in 17 constituencies. However, BJP staked claim to form the government with the support of three MGP MLAs, three GFP MLAs, two Independents and an NCP MLA under the leadership of Parrikar who resigned as the Defence Minister. After he passed away on March 17, 2019, the then Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant replaced him.

(With inputs from PTI)

Image: ANI, PTI, Pixabay