Internal Strife in Goa Congress: Discipline Action Against Party Spokesperson

The Goa branch of the Indian National Congress is embroiled in a fresh controversy after it suspended Sharmila Siddiqui, the party's social‑media manager. Siddiqui raised objections on public platforms when state president Girish Choudhankar designated Mahesh Mhambe—alleged to have an RSS background—as the party’s spokesperson.

According to Siddiqui, her criticism was motivated by a desire to protect the Congress's secular and democratic principles. She stated that she joined the party in 2021 without any personal ambition for a post, and that her family has no political lineage. Her work on the party’s digital channels was performed without remuneration, driven solely by conviction.

The disciplinary process that followed was marked by procedural opacity. Siddiqui received a suspension notice that did not detail the infraction. Later, a formal summons asked her to appear before a disciplinary committee, where she faced a two‑hour interrogation about her decision to air concerns in the media.

In her defense, Siddiqui highlighted what she described as the party’s over‑reliance on high‑visibility events and alliance politics, neglecting the need to reinforce its grassroots machinery. She argued that many local volunteers have independently revived the Congress’s presence in several constituencies, contributing to recent electoral wins, yet their contributions remain undervalued.

The suspended spokesperson also vehemently opposed any alliance with the Goa Revolutionary Party (RGP). She accused RGP leaders of supporting the Prime Minister and the BJP at the national level while professing loyalty to the Congress in the state, a dichotomy she says contradicts Congress ideology.

Siddiqui recalled earlier incidents where senior leaders ignored the concerns of party workers, such as the induction of Michael Lobo before the 2022 assembly polls, which she says led to later difficulties. She maintained that her digital records provide clear evidence of her consistent stance against the BJP and RSS.

She urged the disciplinary committee to formally record the phrase “gate‑out”—used by senior leaders when she sought a private audience—to reflect the manner in which her pleas were dismissed.