Panaji: The BJP and the Congress in Goa have traded charges over Rahul Gandhi’s handling of a traditional Kunbi shawl during his visit to the state, with the ruling party accusing the Congress leader of disrespecting tribal culture and the opposition alleging that the controversy was being manufactured for political reasons.
Gandhi, who was in Goa on Sunday to attend the concluding day of the Goy Rakhon Yatra, was seen placing the shawl on the podium before leaving the venue in Margao, triggering criticism from the BJP.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said the incident amounted to disrespect towards Goa’s tribal community, whose identity and cultural heritage are represented by the traditional shawl.
“The Kunbi shawl represents the identity of Goa’s tribal community. It is a symbol of our culture and heritage. People will not forget the way Rahul Gandhi insulted the shawl,” Sawant said.
He also said that a similar shawl had been presented to Modi during his visit to Goa and that he had taken it back with him as a mark of respect.
On Monday, Goa BJP president Damodar Naik also criticised Gandhi, saying he should learn to conduct himself appropriately at public events.
Naik alleged that Gandhi had disrespected the traditional garment and claimed that the public meeting in Margao had received a lukewarm response.
The Congress, however, rejected the BJP’s allegations, saying the controversy was an attempt to divert attention from the response to Gandhi’s public meeting.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee working president Sunil Kawthankar said the BJP was unsettled by the gathering in Margao and was trying to turn a non-issue into a political controversy.
Congress spokesperson Amarnath Panjikar also disputed the BJP’s version of events, saying Gandhi had not thrown away the shawl but had placed it on the podium.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Panjikar said Gandhi had handed the shawl to him, telling him, “This is for you.”
Panjikar accused the BJP of circulating a misleading interpretation of the incident and attempting to portray it as an insult to Goa’s cultural traditions.
The Kunbi shawl is associated with Goa’s traditional Kunbi community and forms part of the state’s cultural heritage.
