New Delhi [India], September 18 (ANI): Congress MP Captain Viriato Fernandes on Friday alleged that AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal's 'Goa First' alliance with the Goa Forward Party was a tacit understanding with the BJP to split anti-BJP votes, claiming an unstated arrangement existed between AAP and the BJP over Punjab and Goa.
Reacting to the formation of the AAP-GFP alliance named 'Goa First', Fernandes said the BJP government in Goa was facing anti-incumbency and alleged that AAP's move could benefit the ruling party.
"Elections are happening in Goa as well as Punjab. BJP's government is in Goa. They are facing an imminent defeat. Most unpopular government. There is an anti-incumbency factor. They know they are going to lose," Fernandes told ANI.
He alleged that the BJP and AAP were not opposed to each other in Punjab.
"BJP and AAP are not together in Punjab. Congress is the principal opposition party in Punjab as well as Goa. I think Kejriwal coming there to Goa seems to have some understanding with BJP. He must have been told, ' You take Punjab and give us Goa. You come and split the anti-BJP votes there,'" he said.
"If he were truly against the BJP, he would have joined hands with the Congress—the principal opposition party—in Goa. So, he is not interested. This implies he has a different agenda, and we will expose it," Fernandes added.
Asked if his allegation that the BJP had "surrendered Punjab" was a serious charge, Fernandes said, "Where is the doubt? They want one state, they want Goa. You give Goa, take Punjab. It's simple."
Citing past instances, he alleged Kejriwal had a pattern of breaking with Congress at crucial moments.
"See, when we were going into elections in Haryana, the talks had already concluded between Congress and AAP. They were getting some seats; Congress were getting some seats. When Kejriwal was released from jail, the first thing he said was that he was breaking the alliance with Congress. When Rahul Gandhi ji was doing a padyatra in Bihar, what did Kejriwal say? The Gandhi family should be in jail. Now who is your enemy? Who is your opponent? Is it Congress or is it BJP? So somewhere or the other, they have a relationship with the BJP," he said.
"This is the problem. So they will always try to somehow divide the anti-BJP votes. And people, the public, they are very intelligent. The people of Goa will give a decisive victory to Congress," Fernandes added.
On the FCRA Bill, Fernandes alleged a "bigger conspiracy" behind the legislation, saying it targeted NGOs and charitable institutions run largely by minority organisations that had stepped in where the government had failed to deliver services.
"There is a bigger conspiracy which looks like. Now this bill has not been properly defined, and awareness has been made among the various sections of society. We have to understand that a whole lot of NGOs, organisations, charitable trusts, civil society, have been working for decades, providing invaluable service to underprivileged people, children, in the field of education, in the field of healthcare, in the field of women's empowerment, rescuing children from child labour," he said.
"The government failed to deliver in sectors like education or healthcare, so they set everything up. And now you want to take over. Are you in a position to run them or provide these services to the people?" he asked.
Fernandes also raised concerns over provisions related to the property of organisations, citing Article 300A of the Constitution.
"There is a provision in the Constitution, Article 300A, where you cannot take over the property of anybody. So this bill is directly in violation of that particular act," he said.
On the reported India-Pakistan naval collision issue involving INS Kolkata, Fernandes, a former Indian Navy officer, said the Indian Navy maintained high professional standards.
"I was in the Indian Navy; I served for 26 years. And I can tell you that Indian Navy officers and men are highly professional, highly experienced, well trained, and they are trained in the most advanced technology," he said.
"This particular collision which has happened, I feel that the Pakistan Navy has faltered and now to save face they are saying it entered their EEZ. No, this has happened in international waters," he alleged.
"Indian armed forces, be it the Navy, Army or Air Force, are highly professional. I think the Indian government should take appropriate action to expose this Pakistani design of creating tension because both are nuclear-armed states," he added.
Fernandes also reacted to former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to support the Congress candidate in the Nandigram Assembly bypoll, saying that political parties opposing the BJP should come together.
"Mamata Banerjee said Rahul Gandhi called her yesterday and at his request, she supported the Congress candidate in the Nandigram by-election. If any political party or any person comes forward to support Congress, we welcome them," he said.
He added that Congress was fighting against the BJP and urged all parties opposed to the BJP to support Congress in the electoral contest. (ANI)
"You take Punjab, give us Goa": Congress' Viriato Fernandes alleges BJP-AAP deal behind 'Goa First' alliance
