PANAJI
Mormugao MLA and Congress turncoat Sankalp Amonkar's claim that he was "associated with the RSS" from his student days has triggered an internal storm within the Opposition party with a section accusing the leadership of sabotage in the Assembly elections last year.
Amonkar had attended RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's public meeting on Saturday on the sidelines of which he told the media of his closeness to the RSS since his college days. He was a known acolyte of former GPCC president Girish Chodankar who faced allegations from party functionaries of having an understanding with the Sangh.
The internal discord within the Congress spilled over to the public domain on Sunday with prominent party functionaries, including its Dabolim candidate Capt Viriato Fernandes and its media cell head Amarnath Panjikar among others engaging in a war of words on Twitter.
Chodankar, however, stayed aloof of the controversy and has kept silent over the Twitter spat which was sparked off with party functionary Shamila Siddiqui seeking an explanation from the former GPCC chief to Congress workers if he was aware of Amonkar's background.
Siddiqui in her tweet directed at Chodankar tagged recently appointed Goa desk in-charge Manickam Tagore, current GPCC president Amit Patkar, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao and MLAs Carlos Alvares Ferreira and Altone D'Costa.
Panjikar butted in to defend Chodankar saying: “Never saw @SankalpAmonkar in RSS. He was President of @NSUIGoa, President of @IYCGoa, He was Gen Secretary & V P of @INCGoa. He contested 3 elections on @INCIndia ticket. He was appointed as Dy CLP leader. Why blame only Girish ? You want reply only from @girishgoa? #Nonsense.”
The spat on Twitter drew in the genial Capt Viriato Fernandes who responded to Panjikar with a tweet of his own which said: "It appears that the full GANG was having understanding with the RSS Org. When Amonkar himself admits on Camera that he was associated with ABVP & RSS from college times, is it right to deny that those who supported him in @INCGoa were not compromised with @BJP4India?”
Capt Fernandes who ended up a close runner-up to Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho in Dabolim constituency in the February 2022 election said in yet another tweet: "And I repeatedly brought this to his notice. But probably the bond was too thick. And the remnants are again getting active, and …”
"It’s not his fault, but of those who promoted him despite warning about his credentials and double standards years back. And his close associates lurching inside the party need to be purged out,” Capt Fernandes went on to add in another tweet.
