Panaji, May 8 (IANS): The Congress on Wednesday demanded an apology from the Goa Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sardesai for saying that he would weaponise the BJP youth cadres, if domicile provisions relating to eligibility for government jobs in the state were diluted.

"Vijai Sardesai says that we will weaponise the youth. If weapons are given in the hands of the youth, who do they want them to shoot. This is condemnable. Sardesai has to apologise," the All India Mahila Congress General Secretary Apsara Reddy told a press conference at the party's state headquarters here.

"This is against Goa's policy. Goa is about togetherness, Goa is about love. Goa is about people. Goa is celebrated for its peace loving welcoming culture. These statements show that leaders are trying to create an atmosphere of fear," Reddy added.

Speaking at an event on Tuesday, Sardesai, who heads the ruling alliance partner Goa Forward party, had said that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government, of which he is a part, does not revisit its plans to dilute the domicile eligibility norm for non-administrative government jobs, he would weaponise the youth in his party to pressurise the state administration.

"And if our government has made a mistake then the Goa Forward youth, we will back them fully. We will weaponise them. I am going controversially to say this..that we will weaponise them to see that 'Goenkarponn' (Goanness) is protected," Sardesai had said.