Panaji, Jul 18 (IANS): Alleging that BJP and its frontal organisations are using "Hindu religion" and "Hindu Gods" for politics, former Goa Congress Chief Girish Chodankar on Monday said that if they were truly for 'Hindutva', they would have protested against the move of Congress MLAs who tried to defect despite taking oath before God.

The Congress leaders and some people against 'defection' on Monday offered prayers in 'Mahalaxmi temple' in capital city Panaji and sought the wisdom for all the MLAs encouraging defections.

Before the Assembly election, the Congress candidates had pledged their loyalty to the party at Mahalaxmi temple, at a church and a mosque and said that they will not defect from the party, following the defection of 10 Congress legislators to the BJP on July 10, 2019.

Congress candidates had pledged that they would remain loyal to the Congress and stick to the party in all circumstances.

However, on July 10, 2022, two-third of the Congress MLA had made a move to defect and join BJP. Knowing this fact, Congress party on the same day had removed Michael Lobo from the position of Leader of Opposition and later removed Digambar Kamat from his position as permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC). Both are facing disqualification filed before legislative assembly speaker by Congress for anti-party activities.

Congress has said that both these leaders by hobnobbing with BJP tried to engineer a split in Congress MLAs.

Girish Chodankar, after offering prayer, said that they offered prayer so that all MLAs get wisdom and intellect. "At present whatever is happening is not good for democracy. We need to keep permanent faith in God," he said.

"We had even offered prayers before the election. But some are trying to cheat God after taking an oath. BJP and its other wings are doing politics over God. It was their responsibility to restrain these MLAs from playing with faith in God," he said.

"When someone tries to break such a pledge, it is the duty of BJP and its frontal organisations to immediately protest against these MLAs. Some have taken contracts of becoming 'rakshak' (protector) of Hindu religion. But BJP is trying to get these MLAs (who are breaking pledge) in their party. They don't trust 'Hindu religion' and have no faith in God. If they had it, then they would have stopped these moves. BJP is exposed now. It is using Hindu religion and Gods for politics which should stop," he said.