Nirupram holds BJP responsible for Australian missionary's killing in Orissa

Panaji, Mar 1 (ANI): With just two days left for the Goa assembly polls, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupram on Thursday took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over reports of the former political outfit allotting tickets to catholic candidates, and held it responsible for the killing of Australian Christian missionary Graham Stuart Staines in Orissa.

"As far as BJP is concerned, the BJP is trying to do some social engineering in Goa and I have heard that they have given tickets to five or six catholic candidates. But the people of Goa must remember one thing, this very BJP is responsible for the murder of father Staines in Orissa," said Nirupam.

Dr. Graham Stuart Staines, an Australian Christian missionary, was burnt to death along with his two sons Philip and Timothy while sleeping in his station wagon at Manoharpur village in Orissa's Keonjhar District in January 1999.

Meanwhile, responding to questions on the illegal mining issue Nirupam said the Congress Party is not at all in favour of illegal mining.

"Congress party is not at all in the favour of illegal mining and for that very purpose our state government has identified the incident of illegal mining and requested the central government to install an inquiry into it," he said.

Campaigning for the Goa assembly elections comes to an end this evening. Polling in Goa's 40 constituencies will be held in single-phase on Saturday.

215 candidates are in the fray this time, out of which 74 candidates are independent and nine are women.

The assembly elections would be between the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Maharshtrawadi Gomantak Party combine.

The counting of votes will be held on March 6. (ANI)