Panaji:
Former head of the RSS in Goa, Subhash Velingkar, has claimed that 95 per cent of the Sangh volunteers in the state are against the BJP and they supported his outfit Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM).
Velingkar, a regional language crusader, floated the GSM ahead of the assembly polls in Goa earlier this year to take on the BJP, attacking the policies of the government led by it.
The GSM has fielded its president Anand Shirodkar against Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in the Panaji by-election scheduled on August 23.
The rebel RSS leader was relieved of his charge as Sangh’s Goa chief,following which he floated a parallel outift.
Velingkar had vehemently attacked the previous BJP-led government headed by Laxmikant Parsekar over continuing the state ‘patronage’ to English medium schools, “neglecting” local languages like Konkani and Marathi.
“Though the RSS workers who backed us had gone back to the Sangh they still support the GSM, which is a political ammunition to fight the issue of medium of instruction in mother tongue,” Velingkar told PTI.
He said the BJP does not have its own cadre in Goa.
“There are several reasons why they don’t open up in public, one reason is that they are afraid though their fear is unwarranted. The true BJP cadres have reduced,” Velingkar added.
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