Panaji, Jun 21(TOI): Defence minister Manohar Parrikar and Goa Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Subhash Velingkar have been at loggerheads for some time now over the medium of instruction (MoI) in Goa. On Monday, Parrikar chose to say that the views of the BJP in Goa and Velingkar's Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) on the MoI issue are not different in any manner.

"The party's view point and that of the BBSM don't differ in any way, except on one point - the issue of providing grants to English medium primary schools. They (BBSM) have sent a memorandum to the chief minister on the MoI issue and the chief minister will be calling a meeting soon to talk it out with them. He is trying to resolve the issue," said Parrikar.

Expressing surprise at Parrikar's statement, Parsekar said "if issues are to be resolved, then they cannot be put before the media".

"Did he (Parrikar) really say this?" he asked mediapersons, who sought his reaction to the defence minister's statement.

Velingkar, recently announced that a political alternative to the BJP will be offered before the 2017 state assembly polls by the BBSM.

Velingkar has been especially harsh in his criticism of Parrikar over the MoI row, going to the extent of calling him a traitor and a cheat in the recent past.

From June 18, BBSM has been conducting demonstrations at all public meetings presided over by ministers of the state BJP government.

BBSM has been demanding the withdrawal of grants extended to 127 English medium primary schools in the state.

A one-time exception was made for these schools against the state policy of grants only to regional language institutions.

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