Congress Files Police Complaint Against BJP Leaders Over Anti-Priest Remarks in Goa

The Congress party in Goa has filed a police complaint against BJP leaders Giriraj Pai Vernekar and Sankalp Amonkar for allegedly inciting hostility towards Catholic priests. The complaint claims that the leaders' statements on the role of priests in BJP candidate Pallavi Dempo's electoral loss could lead to communal tension and violence.

The Congress party in Goa has escalated its confrontation with the BJP by formally lodging a police complaint against two party leaders. Girish Chodankar, a prominent Congress figure, filed the complaint against BJP spokesman Giriraj Pai Vernekar and Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar. Chodankar accuses them of inciting hostility towards Catholic priests.

A press conference held by Vernekar and Amonkar earlier had alleged that Catholic priests influenced voters against BJP's candidate Pallavi Dempo in the South Goa Lok Sabha elections, resulting in her defeat. The statements were deemed inflammatory by the Congress, suggesting they could provoke communal divides.

The complaint, lodged at Margao police station, calls for legal action against Vernekar and Amonkar for promoting enmity and deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings. Chodankar warned that such accusations could lead to violence, akin to unrest in regions like Manipur. A senior police official confirmed receipt of the complaint, which is now under examination.

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