NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) on Monday announced its plans to float a political party to contest the 2017 state assembly polls, for coming to power so as to settle the medium of instruction issue.
Coming out with the information that a committee headed by Hridaynath Shirodkar and including Mahesh Mhambre, Vallabh Kelkar and Swati Kerkar has been constituted to draft the constitution of this political party, convenor of the political cell of the BBSM Uday Bhembre said that the BBSM will remain a parent body and not participate in any electoral process. “However, its political party will approach people with a number of issues including the MoI issue, special status issue, etc, and promise the voters good governance, corruption-free administration, freedom from vices, and so on, putting an end to the business of politics run by many political parties,” he noted, stating that the Hridaynath Shirodkar committee would recommend other issues to be taken up by this party.
Speaking at a city press conference, Bhembre said that the BBSM desires to tie up with those political parties, for the forthcoming assembly election, which have similar wavelength on the MoI issue. “Until now, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party appears to be the only political faction with whom we can have a coalition,” he added, informing that the BBSM has already given related proposal to MGP, and if the MGP severs all its ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party by September 30, 2016, then the BBSM will go ahead with the political partnership.
Bhembre also said that the BBSM has also kept its option open to share seats between its to-be-formed political party, and the MGP. “If the MGP sticks with the BJP even after September 30, 2016, then the BBSM would follow its list of probable candidates to be fielded in 35 electoral constituencies, around the state,” he revealed, maintaining that the BBSM could also field its candidates in the rest five electoral constituencies namely Nuvem, Benaulim, Velim, Cuncolim and Quepem.
Stating that the political party of the BBSM would try to win as many seats as possible, at the state assembly election, Bhembre said that the BBSM does not want to remain silent now. “We trusted a political party and were betrayed,” he noted, retorting that they don’t want to be betrayed once again.
Meanwhile, BBSM co-ordinator Subhash Velingkar said that the public meetings of the BBSM are receiving overwhelming response from the people. “We expect to register 2 lakh Matrubhasha Rakshak, the BBSM members in Goa by October 31,” Velingkar, who is also the state in-charge of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) added, pointing out that the Bharatiya Janata Party does not command RSS, and hence has no authority to dictate terms to the RSS.
Velingkar further said that the state BJP government, however, tried to create hurdles in the BBSM public meetings, as also pressurised the BBSM workers to keep away from such meetings.
