Amarnath Panjikar Rejects BJP’s Allegations Against Rahul Gandhi Over Kunbi Shawl

Says Rahul Gandhi placed the shawl on the podium rather than throwing it away; questions BJP over alleged misuse of ₹4.40 crore in Prerana Din funds

Goa Khabar: Amarnath Panjikar has strongly rejected the Goa BJP’s allegations that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi disrespected the traditional Kunbi shawl during his visit to Goa, accusing the ruling party of misrepresenting the incident to create a political controversy.

Responding to a video circulated by the Goa BJP on social media, Panjikar clarified that Gandhi had not thrown away the shawl but had placed it on the podium.

According to Panjikar, Gandhi handed over the shawl to him, saying, “This is for you.”

Panjikar accused the BJP of twisting the facts and attempting to manufacture outrage over an incident that, according to him, involved no disrespect towards Goa’s culture or tribal identity.

He further alleged that the controversy was an attempt to divert public attention from more serious questions concerning the alleged misuse of ₹4.40 crore in the name of Prerana Din.

Panjikar challenged the BJP to address questions surrounding the alleged financial irregularities instead of making accusations against Gandhi over the Kunbi shawl.

He maintained that the real issue was accountability for funds associated with tribal welfare, rather than the controversy being raised over the shawl.

Panjikar also criticised the Goa BJP for what he described as spreading propaganda and urged the party to verify the facts before accusing others of disrespecting Goa’s traditions.

The controversy erupted after the Goa BJP shared a video alleging that Gandhi had casually thrown aside a traditional Kunbi shawl during a public programme, describing the alleged action as an insult to Goa’s tribal community.

Panjikar’s statement presents a conflicting account of the incident. His allegations concerning the ₹4.40 crore expenditure remain unverified.