City
Epaper

Christian supporters urged me to join BJP: Goa Deputy Speaker

By IANS | Published: July 25, 2019 3:32 PM

Newly-elected Goa Deputy Speaker Isidore Fernandes on Thursday said that the re-election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi transformed his fellow Christ who urged him to give up "Christaoponn" (Christianness) and join the BJP.

Open in App

Fernandes, who was one of the 10 Congress MLAs who quit the party and joined the BJP on July 10, told the Goa Legislative Assembly that with 15 Christian MLAs in its ranks now, the Goa BJP was truly a secular party and could no longer be called communal.

"The moment (Lok Sabha) election results were announced and Prime Minister Modi became Prime Minister for the the second term with the biggest majority... They said, 'Isidore join the BJP'. Forget your 'Christaoponn'. These are the words of my Catholic people," Fernandes said soon after he was elected as Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

"Today, there are 15 Catholic MLAs in the BJP. That shows this party is secular. That is the signal and there is no discrimination. Let this signal go to all of Goa, that BJP is a secular party," he said, adding that the BJP's communal tag was no longer relevant.

The induction of 13 Congress MLAs into the BJP since 2007 has made the BJP the single largest party in the Assembly, as it now has a majority of 27 MLAs on it own.

The mass defections have however triggered dissent within the BJP, with a section of the party's cadre openly criticising the state leadership for "weakening" the BJP for immediate gain.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: Goa BjpLegislative AssemblyFernandescongressmodi
Open in App

Related Stories

NationalEC Orders X To Immediately Take Down BJP Karnataka's 'Communal' Post

PoliticsLok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3: Congress Will Register Thumping Majority in Karnataka, Says Mallikarjun Kharge

MaharashtraCongress Shifts Campaign Focus in Maharashtra: Priyanka Gandhi and Kharge to Lead, Rahul Gandhi's Absence in Last Phases

NationalLok Sabha Election 2024: Congress Appoints Bhupesh Baghel as AICC Senior Observer for Raebareli, Ashok Gehlot for Amethi

NationalShashi Tharoor Backs Vijay Wadettiwar on His Claim on Hemant Karkare’s Killing, Says 'Allegations in Public Domain Must Be Investigated' (Watch)

National Realted Stories

NationalPhase-3 LS polls: Maharashtra's 11 constituencies record around 61 pc voter turnout

NationalEC provisional figures peg third phase turnout at 64.4 per cent as polling ends in 20 states/UTs

NationalConstituency Watch: Nizamabad LS seat in Telangana set for three-cornered contest

NationalLS polls: Nomination of 4 candidates in Gurgaon seat cancelled during scrutiny

NationalCM Sawant expresses happiness over high voter turnout in Goa