RSS workers donned burqas at Modi's rally in Goa: Congress

Panaji: Opposition Congress today alleged that RSS workers masqueraded as burqa-clad women in BJP's PM candidate Narendra modi's rally held here yesterday, apparently to create the impression that minority community members also participated in the event.

"RSS workers wore burqas provided to them by BJP leaders and sat in a group at modi's rally to project that minority community has also participated in it," said state Congress spokesman Manohar Asgaonkar in a press conference also attended by state unit president John Fernandes. RSS is the ideological mentor of BJP.

Asgaonkar alleged that "women" wearing the traditional cloak were made to sit at different locations in the crowd to convey the impression that a large number of Muslims were drawn to the event by modi's charisma.

"Muslim community women in Goa do not wear burqa. BJP leaders should have at least known this," Asgaonkar said. When contacted, BJP rubbished the charge, saying the statement by Congress stems from the frustration over presence of huge crowd at modi's public meeting.

"Any opposition political party would have got frustrated looking at the sea of crowd for the rally," said BJP spokesman Wilfred Mesquita. He said more than 1.2 lakh people had assembled at the rally held in Merces village near here last evening.

"Congress has realised that they have lost both the Goa Lok Sabha seats and that's why they are making such statements," Mesquita said. Controversies have dogged modi's rallies over participation of Muslims since he was declared as the prime ministerial nominee of the saffron party. Congress had accused BJP of diktating "dress code" for Muslims for his rally in Jaipur last year.

Senior party leader Digvijay Singh had caused a flutter when he alleged that a real estate firm footed the bill for 10,000 burqas stitched for modi's rally in Bhopal.