Panaji, Apr 24 (IANS): Congress leader and former AICC secretary Girish Chodankar has claimed that one MLA of the BJP in Goa has specially flown 100 people to Turkey to celebrate birthday by spending around Rs 23 crore.

"Goa's most lavish 50th birthday is not being celebrated in Goa but in Turkey! A BJP MLA has specially flown 100 people, including businessmen, bureaucrats & well-wishers for the birthday. Cost: Rs 23 crore. Beef items & sumptuous menu," Chodankar tweeted on Sunday.

"Lavish B'day!! The 5 day, all-inclusive birthday celebrations reflect BJP's hypocrisy. Beef is an Election Agenda for @BJP4India which differs from state to state. Can PM Narendra Modi tell his #mankibaat on this hypocrisy? And from where is this Aatmanirbhar finance of Rs 23 crore coming?" he questioned in the tweet.

Speaking to IANS, Chodankar said that soon after coming to power in 2014, Narendra Modi government had announced to adopt austerity measures. However, BJP's MLAs seem not to follow them.

"Though birthday celebrations are their personal thing, still people should understand how the money is spent in crores on such celebrations. Where does this money come from?" he questioned.

Chodankar, also former Congress chief of Goa, said that businessmen, bureaucrats and well wishers of this BJP MLA have gone to Turkey in different flights. "I have confirmed this from my source and only then tweeted after getting several calls on this," he said.

"In Goa, people are suffering due to unemployment and other many issues. But our elected representatives are not bothered. They are busy spending crores on their birthday parties, that too in foreign countries," he said.