Panaji, October 18: Goa Congress leader Amarnath Panjikar has strongly refuted the BJP’s allegations that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi disrespected Goa’s traditional Kunbi shawl during his recent visit to the state, accusing the ruling party of deliberately distorting facts to manufacture a political controversy.

 

Reacting to a video circulated by the Goa BJP on social media, Panjikar clarified that Gandhi had neither discarded nor disrespected the traditional shawl. Instead, he had placed it on the podium before handing it over to Panjikar, saying, “This is for you.”

Panjikar accused the BJP of selectively portraying the incident to create a misleading impression and provoke sentiments within Goa’s tribal community.

He questioned the BJP’s priorities, alleging that the controversy was being deliberately fuelled to divert public attention from serious questions surrounding the alleged misuse of ₹4.40 crore in connection with the Prerana Din celebrations.

Rather than manufacturing outrage over a shawl, the BJP should explain how such a substantial amount of public money was spent in the name of tribal welfare and honouring tribal martyrs, Panjikar asserted.

He challenged the ruling party to respond to allegations of financial irregularities and ensure accountability for public expenditure instead of engaging in what he described as politically motivated propaganda against Rahul Gandhi.

The controversy surfaced after the Goa BJP circulated a video alleging that Gandhi had casually thrown aside a traditional Kunbi shawl during a public programme, describing the action as disrespectful towards Goa’s tribal culture and identity.

However, Panjikar maintained that the BJP’s interpretation was misleading and that Gandhi had shown no disrespect towards the traditional attire.

The conflicting claims have triggered a political confrontation between the Congress and BJP, with the Congress seeking to shift the focus towards accountability over the Prerana Din expenditure.