Several BJP leaders were quick to pounce on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s comment at the National Press Club in Washington DC calling the Muslim League a secular party.

In his interaction in Washington DC, Rahul Gandhi said the Muslim League is a completely secular party and is in alliance with the Muslim League in Kerala as part of the United Democratic Front. Gandhi said there is nothing non-secular about the Muslim League and questioned the reporter’s knowledge about the Muslim League.

Senior BJP leaders said Rahul Gandhi is insulting India from foreign shores. Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said Rahul Gandhi should apologise for his comments and should speak about it to the people in India once he is here.

Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel said he does not take Rahul Gandhi seriously and blamed the comment on a Congress tendency. He said the comment was dangerous as such seeds of division can grow up to be challenges to the country.

Former Law Minister and BJP leader Kiren Rijiju criticised Rahul Gandhi’s statement on the Muslim League’s secular character. BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya criticized Rahul Gandhi on Twitter.

In response, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera hit out at Malviya on Twitter and questioned the BJP IT Cell chief’s wisdom and awareness about the Muslim League. He schooled him about the difference between the Indian Union Muslim League in Kerala and the Muslim League of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

During the Washington DC interaction, Rahul Gandhi held forth on various topics including the party’s chances in the 2024 Lok Sabha, the move for Opposition unity to take on the BJP and the perils of unemployment that has been encircling India. Gandhi said his party was holding regular dialogue with all Opposition parties, there is a lot of good work happening in that regard.

In an exclusive interview to APN News, Goa’s Tourism, Information Technology, including Printing and Stationery, Minister Rohan Khaunte spoke of the future of Goa scaling new heights in tourism. Khaunte not only wants to imprint the identity of Goa on the world map as a location for beautiful beaches but also for history, tradition and heritage. Excerpts from the interview:

Question: How will tourism of Goa evolve over the next 20 years, what initiatives are you taking to further it?

Minister Khaunte: Till now, the tourism of Goa was dependent on the excellent sea here, but now we are moving forward thinking of changing this image of Goa. Tourists will come to Goa only when we make special preparations for new and different programmes for them. Every year, no one will come to see the sea of Goa. Goa will now witness many projects like Spiritual, Adventure Tourism, Eco and Hinterland Tourism, which will be a huge opportunity for tourists. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Mopa airport in North Goa. This project will provide many possibilities in the tourism sector. Along with tourism, we have also started the facility of home stay, under which tourists will get a pleasant experience of tourism in the interior areas of Goa.

Question: What steps are being taken for the protection of the environment in Goa in the next 10 years?

Minister Khaunte: The natural environment is God’s gift to Goa. No new tourism project will come up which will harm this environment. Before bringing a new project, a complete study of its impact on the environment will be done. No project will be approved without study, which may become a threat to the environment here. We have constituted the Goa State Tourism Board, which decides on the proposal for a new project after brainstorming. Goa is the first state to constitute this board.

Question: After late Manohar Parrikar, you are representing the people of Goa in other parts of the country, how do you see the political future of Goa as a minister?

Minister Khaunte: I have been an eyewitness to many political ups and downs in Goa, I have also been a participant several times. I worked as the Minister of Revenue, Employment, Printing and Printed Materials for two-and-a-half years in the Parrikar government. In the Assembly elections of 2012 and 2017, I was elected as an independent candidate. But in the 2022 election, I contested as a BJP candidate and won. It is true that along with Parrikarji, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister Nitin Gadkari, former Maharashra CM and current Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis have also been instrumental in my joining the party. I consider myself a public servant first. It is my earnest desire to do the work necessary for the welfare of the people of Goa along with the keeping the image of Goa.

Question: How do you see your political future?

Minister Khaunte: Politics is the only field where what you think does not happen. Your future is decided by the people who elect you. Do good work, you will get good results. If you do a wrong thing, the people can also show you the way home. The people liked the work I did as an independent MLA till now, this is the reason that voters gave me a third chance in March 2022 after joining the BJP. It is my duty to not let down the trust reposed in me by the people for the third time. I am dedicated to fulfilling my duty. I know that if one does good work, the people will support you.

Question: How can cultural and heritage tourism of Goa be handled in an era of modernization?

Minister Khaunte: The cultural and heritage tourism of Goa has progressed with tradition for many years. The cultural and traditional tourism here has been the specialty of Goa. Temples, churches and many historical sites have been highlights of Goa’s tourism. Be it the Mahadev Temple of Tambdi Surla, Saptakoteshwar Temple of Narve or other temples of Goa, thousands of years of heritage is behind it. Even after years, his specialty did not get affected in the era of modernization. Recently, the Saptakoteshwar temple in Narve was reconstructed. But during this time, care was taken that the tradition and history were maintained. This temple was built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Question: What role will the Information Technology sector play in presenting the tourism industry of Goa to the world?

Minister Khaunte: The role of the Information Technology sector will be very important. In the digital age, where all the services are under the control of information technology, integration of tourism sector with it can bring a big change. Goa is the only state where we started the concept of #WorkingGoa. Under this, the IT class coming to Goa could stay connected to office along with their vacation. Work is on to bring about improvements in connectivity issues in rural areas. Tourism and information technology have an inextricable relationship. This relationship has been worked out keeping in mind that both will walk on a new path of development in the region which is just beginning.

Question: What is your opinion about the political ups and downs at the Centre in 2024 and how can Goa’s economy go ahead other than tourism?

Minister Khaunte: Not only the whole country, the world is also watching the work experience of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That’s why India has emerged as Vishwaguru. Keeping this in view, I do not think that there is a possibility of a change at the Centre in 2024. It is the good fortune of India to have a leader like Modi. The India which other countries were seeing from a different point of view till date has now changed, and everyone is now looking at India with respect. This is the charisma of Modi. This is the result of his ideology, I believe. As for 2024, this time the slogan of 400 (Lok Sabha seats) will be there.

If you talk about Goa’s economy, the mining has been its mainstay till now, but after it was stopped, the burden of the state’s economy fell on tourism industry. Over the years, tourism has contributed a lot to revenue. It will increase further with new projects and possibilities.

Many new proposals are in front to strengthen the economy of Goa, which is dependent on the tourism industry. They will be implemented only after detailed consideration. These schemes have the potential to boost tourism as well as strengthen the economy of the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the people of Telangana and its culture on Telangana Formation Day on Friday.

He said in his tweet that the state, which came into being on June 2, 2014 by bifurcating the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh, is known for its pleasant weather and the richness of its culture which are greatly admired as well. The PM prayed for the well-being and prosperity of the state.

Telangana assumes significance for the BJP since it is pushing to come to power in the state which has been under the Bharat Rashtra Samithi government under KCR for two terms. The Assembly election is due to be held in the last months of 2023 for 119 seats. So far, the BRS has dominated the state, even winning over MLAs who won on tickets of other parties, including the Congress. The BRS, which was earlier the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, is at the forefront of a non-BJP, non-Congress de factor coalition and has national plans.

In the 2018 election, the BRS formed a government in Telangana by winning 88 seats bettering its previous best of 63 in 2013. The Congress came a distant second with 19 seats. The BRS ally, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen of Asaduddin Owaisi, was third with seven seats. The AIMIM is led by Owaisi’s brother Akbaruddin. The BJP has significant influence in Hyderabad via MLA T Raja Singh has a strong following among Hindu voters in the Old City.

In Telangana, the opposition led by the Congress, Telangana Jana Samithi, the Telugu Desam Party, and the Communist Party of India have announced the formation of a grand alliance, the MahaKootami. The Congress has said that it would leave 25 seats for its allies, 14 to the TDP, 8 to the Telangana Jana Samithi and three seats to the CPI. This alliance plans to defeat the current KCR-led BRS government in the state. The BJP is contesting the elections alone in the state. 

The BJP’s Telangana plans have been eclipsed by the defeat in the Karnataka Assembly election. Winning Karnataka was essential to mount a strong campaign in Telangana but the national party is far from throwing in the towel. Eking out a victory in Telangana can balance the loss in Karnataka but will a top heavy campaign like in Karnataka help the cause, remains to be seen.

The BJP has found that the politics in Southern India is different from politics in the Hindi belt. The voters in the south heed their immediate local issues and understand politic equations well. People lack faith in the national party when it comes to state elections, if we look at the data from southern India of their political preference, most states are ruled by regional parties, even if Kerala is ruled by the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front.

Telangana was part of the princely state of Hyderabad ruled by the Nizams. It became part of the Union of India in 1948. In 1956, the state of Hyderabad was dissolved and the 33 districts that comprise Telangana were merged with the state of Andhra Pradesh. The demand for Telangana had picked up in the 1990s and the consequent struggle ended on June 2, 2014 when the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre announced the creation of the state of Telangana.