Tharoor on Friday addressed a press conference in Congress House and said that Goans cherish values of democracy and Indian Constitution, which we have proudly built since 1947.

AICC incharge Manikrao Thakare, GPCC President Amit Patkar, Vice President Sunil Kawthankar, General Secretary Vijay Bhike were present.

“India has gone through very very important challenges. We have made a lot of progress in some areas and sadly we see setbacks. Major danger we see today is to our democracy. In the last few years under BJP rule one party is trying to dominate everything,” Tharoor said.

He said that there is weaponization of investigating agencies and oppositions are selectively targeted.

“BJP washing machine cleans the charges, whoever joins them. The charges against them suddenly disappear,” he said.

He said that the environment of Goa is under threat for three linear projects. “Restoring and safeguarding democracy is important. We need to preserve our diversity,” Congress MP said.

Tharoor said that BJP has displaced its weakness and desperation by locking the leader of the national opposition party in jail. “Why did they do it in the middle of the election,” he questioned.

“Is it democratic to freeze accounts of opposition parties, BJP has done it to us. Is it democratic to lock up the opposition party leader, who is chief minister of the state, they did it to Arvind Kejriwal. Is it democratic to selectively raid opponents’ helicopters? Why don’t they raid helicopters, planes or cars of BJP leaders? This is not the way democracy is supposed to function. The way BJP is functioning people can see how one sided it is,” Tharoor said.

He said that BJP’s promises of two crore jobs, doubling farmers income, crediting Rs 15 lakhs in peoples account turned out to be Jumlas.

“Amit Shah himself said that those were Jumlas. But we give promises which we bring in reality,” Tharoor said.

He said that dual citizenship issue will be taken up. “Need to find a legal formula for that,” he said.

“In this election BJP will have some big surprises. We have got good feedback in two phases. Even from Hindi speaking states we have good feedback,” he said.

He also said that the Anti defection law will be strengthened.

“BJP want one nation-one election, one party-one leader, one religion-one god, and one language, they want everything to be ‘one’… And of course one ruler to control all these things.. That is not the idea of India. That is not the India written in the constitution by great Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar,” Tharoor said.

“In Gujarat there is a memorial of the Indian Navy ship INS INS Khukri that was sunk in the 1971 war. Here you will see replica of the ship and names of every soldier and sailor on the wall. When you see all the names, tears roll out from your eyes, because you see every religion, caste and region of the country represented in the names of those people who died fighting to save India. They were not from one religion or one part of the country,” he pointed out.

“We need to protect our democracy, which is under threat,” he said.