The crossing over of eight of its Goa lawmakers, including former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, to the BJP was part of the ruling party’s ‘Operation Kichad (mud)‘, which was fast tracked to divert attention from the success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress said on Wednesday.
The Congress is now left with just three MLAs in the State Assembly. The move comes just months after the Congress candidates were administered an oath of loyalty in the run up to the Assembly election in Goa.
“Operation Kichad of BJP in Goa has been fast tracked because of the visible success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. BJP is nervous. A daily dose of diversion & disinformation is handed out to undermine the yatra. We remain undeterred. We will overcome these dirty tricks of the BJP,” Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge, communications, said in a tweet.
Echoing him, Congress leader Pawan Khera said the BJP had been rattled by the yatra and organised ‘Operation Kichad’ in Goa.
“The fallout of the panic that set in the BJP over the Bharat Jodo Yatra was seen in Goa. For many months, they were trying and was using usual tactics like using Central agencies, luring people with money, issue threats through musclemen and so on,” Mr. Khera said in a video that he put up on Twitter.
“The Congress has undertaken a difficult journey and those who are not able to support this path of uniting India, fearing the threats of BJP are free to leave and join those who break,” Mr. Khera said.
Calling it a brazen display of corruption, party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, “People who compromise their values beyond a point, you cannot have a dialogue with them.”
Putting up a photo of the defecting Congress MLAs meeting Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Lok Sabha member Manickam Tagore tweeted, “Sold out.”
