Goa, August 5: Internal strife within the Goa Congress has come to the forefront once again. The party has suspended its social media in-charge, Sharmila Siddiqui, after she publicly objected to the appointment of Mahesh Mhambre, a leader with alleged RSS ties, as the party spokesperson by the new state president, Girish Chodankar. Following her objection, the party initiated disciplinary action against her.
In response to the incident, Siddiqui stated that she did not join Congress in 2021 for any position. She emphasized that her family has no political background, nor does she have personal ambitions in politics. She managed the social media responsibilities without any financial gain, working at her own expense for the party. Siddiqui criticized the Congress for focusing solely on bringing in new leaders while neglecting to strengthen the grassroots organization. She described the activities as limited to photo opportunities.
She argued that Congress should have focused on enhancing its organizational strength in Goa rather than relying solely on coalition politics. Siddiqui claimed that party workers have independently strengthened the party in various regions, leading to success in local elections. She also expressed strong opposition to a potential alliance with the Goa Revolutionary Party (RGP), stating that party workers were against it due to RGP’s unclear ideology.
Siddiqui accused RGP leaders of supporting the Prime Minister and BJP at the national level while claiming to stand with Congress in Goa. This dual political stance does not align with Congress’s ideology, she asserted.
She claimed that she was suspended without any written notice. After some time, she received a letter to appear before the disciplinary committee, which did not specify the nature of her alleged misconduct. Siddiqui later appeared before the committee, where she was questioned for nearly two hours. They asked her why she took her complaint to the media, to which she replied that there was no effective platform within the party to voice her concerns.
Siddiqui maintained that her statements were made in the interest of Congress. She argued that the decision to reinstate Girish Chodankar as state president was against the sentiments of the workers. She referenced the inclusion of Michael Lobo in the party before the 2022 assembly elections, noting that workers’ objections were ignored, leading to negative consequences.
Siddiqui highlighted that her social media record shows her consistent opposition to BJP and RSS ideologies. Questioning the appointment of leaders with RSS backgrounds is not against Congress; rather, it is a defense of the party’s core ideology. She clarified that opposing Girish Chodankar’s decision does not equate to opposing Congress itself.
Additionally, Siddiqui alleged that when senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal visited Goa, she attempted to present her concerns with a delegation but was told to leave without being heard. She insisted that this incident be recorded in the committee’s report, which was initially resisted but later included after her insistence.
Siddiqui asserted that she presented her case thoroughly before the disciplinary committee, clarifying that her questions aimed to strengthen the organization and maintain ideological clarity, not to undermine the party. She accused the party of taking action against her instead of listening to her concerns.
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