NSUI press meet at Kamat's residence triggers row

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The NSUI's newly elected president Sunil Kawthankar Tuesday addressed the press meet in the presence of the chief minister and state Youth Congress president Sankalp Amonkar.

Govind Parvatkar, Goa general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said in a formal statement that Kawthankar's press conference at Kamat's official residence "was yet another brazen act of arrogance by Congressmen after Rahul Gandhi's abuse of the state university campus for political reasons".

The current controversy comes less than a month after Rahul Gandhi allegedly promoted and campaigned for the NSUI at the Goa university campus in January.

"The official residence of the chief minister is not for petty politics. This is clearly an abuse of power by the Congress. Such abuse was earlier commonplace for their leaders from the Gandhi family. Look at the Rahul Gandhi case. Now, these minions are also following suit," Parvatkar said, adding that the BJP's protest in the matter was conveyed to Kamat.

The Chief Minister's Office was unable to comment on the issue. When contacted, press liaison officer to the chief minister Suresh Walve said that Kamat could not be contacted for comment.

Rahul Gandhi's visit triggered a huge controversy in Goa, after the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary addressed three political meetings at the Goa University campus Jan 19, which included a meeting of the committee officials of the Congress state unit.

Goa University officers later admitted they had erred in making the campus available for Gandhi's visit. Varsity registrar Mohan Sangodkar had tendered his resignation to Goa Governor S.S. Sidhu, admitting responsibility for the faux pas.

Sangodkar had later blamed the state Congress officials for keeping him in the dark about the political nature of Gandhi's visit.