Members of outfit led by RSS leader show black flags to Shah

Panaji, Aug 20 (PTI) BJP President Amit Shah was todayshown black flags by members of an outfit led by Goa RSS chiefSubhash Velingkar which has been rooting for regionallanguages as medium of instruction in primary schools andseeking stoppage of government grants to English mediumschools in the state. The incident took place when Shah was on his way toaddress a meeting of BJP workers near here. Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), an outfit ledby Velingkar, has been demanding withdrawal of governmentgrants to English medium schools. The organisation, which wants regional languages to bemedium of instruction (MoI) in Goa’s primary schools, haslaunched statewide protests. BBSM is at loggerheads with Goa’sBJP-led government which has formed a committee to look intothe MoI issue. When Shah’s convoy reached the Goa University Road on wayto Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium where he was to addressbooth level workers’ meeting, activists of BBSM waived blackflags at the BJP chief amid presence of police personnel. Earlier in the day, Velingkar told PTI the protests hadbeen planned not to condemn Shah but to urge him to intervenein the MoI issue. "We want Shah to correct the blunder committed by formerChief Minister Manohar Parrikar (during whose tenure the MoIissue started)," he said. Parrikar and Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, whoalso passed by the road to attend the function, too, wereshown black flags. Shah was in Goa to launch BJP’s election campaign for theAssembly poll due in the first half of 2017. PTI RPS RSYSMN