Panaji, Oct 19 The Goa BJP on Monday accused Rahul Gandhi of disrespecting tribal culture during his visit to the coastal state a day earlier, though the Congress hit back claiming a controversy was being manufactured for political reasons.
The ruling party said Gandhi, who was here on Sunday to take part in the ‘Goy Rakhon Yatra’, had unceremoniously left a traditional Kunbi tribal shawl gifted to him on the podium.
“The Kunbi shawl represents the identity of Goa’s tribal community. It is a symbol of our culture and heritage. People will not forget the way Rahul Gandhi insulted the shawl,” Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said.
A similar shawl presented to Narendra Modi during one of his visits to the state was taken back by the prime minister with respect, Sawant further said.
Gandhi should learn to conduct himself appropriately at public events, Goa BJP president Damodar Naik said. “Gandhi has disrespected the traditional garment,” he said while claiming Sunday’s Congress event received a lukewarm response.
The Congress, on the other hand, said the controversy over the Kunbi shawl was an attempt to divert attention from the response to Gandhi’s public meeting.
“The BJP is unsettled by the gathering at Margao and is trying to turn a non-issue into a political controversy,” Goa Pradesh Congress Committee working president Sunil Kawthankar said.
Congress spokesperson Amarnath Panjikar said Gandhi had not thrown away the shawl but had placed it on the podium.
“He handed the shawl to me and said it was for me. The BJP is coming up with a misleading interpretation in order to portray it as an insult to Goa’s cultural traditions,” Panjikar added.
(PTI News)
