Congress calls it ‘operation Kichad’, as 8 of its Goa MLAs join BJP

New Delhi: In reaction to the defection of eight MLA from Goa on Wednesday, Congress said it was ‘operation Kichad (dirt)’ of the BJP who got rattled by the success of the Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera about the defection said in order to make its operation, what he calls Kichad, successful, the BJP used all kinds of tactics like central investigative agencies, threats by goons, greed for money. The BJP is rattled by the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he added.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh in a tweet said, “Operation Kichad of BJP in Goa has been fast tracked because of the visible success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. BJP is nervous.”

“A daily dose of diversion & disinformation is handed out to undermine the Yatra. We remain undeterred. We will overcome these dirty tricks of the BJP,” he added.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP, Raghav Chadha, taking a dig at Congress amid Goa political crisis said that ‘when you vote for Congress, you elect a future BJP MLA.’

“Operation Lotus fails in Delhi and Punjab, succeeds in Goa… Because when you vote for Congress, you elect a future BJP MLA,” said Chadha, adding that ‘Congress is over, resting in pieces.’

Eight Congress MLAs, including former CM Digambar Kamat and leader of the opposition Michael Lobo, joined the BJP today in Goa.

This leaves the Congress with three MLAs in the state.

The MLAs who joined the saffron party include Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Rajesh Phaldesai, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes. They also met with CM Pramod Sawant, as reported by news agency ANI.