PANAJI: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Thursday accused BJP president J P Nadda of "trying to fool the people of Goa."
Addressing a press conference here, Moitra hit back at Nadda over his comments about crime in TMC-ruled West Bengal.
"It is ironic that Mr Nadda has come today, and instead of focusing on what he does best, that is sticking to Delhi and speaking about what Mr Modi (prime minister Narendra Modi) is doing, he is wasting his time convincing the people of Goa that they should be fooled," she said.
"People of Goa want a change and it is happening. So Mr Nadda, whatever you say, we (TMC) are here to stay," she said.
The Mamata Banerjee-led party has announced that it would contest the Goa Assembly elections, due early next year.
After the drubbing the BJP received in West Bengal elections, Nadda should have "the decency and shame to sit home for few months and recoup," Moitra further said.
The BJP did not have the mandate to form government in Goa in 2017 as it had got 13 seats against Congress' 17, the TMC MP said.
"They (BJP) poached MLAs from other parties and cobbled together a coalition," she said.
The BJP failed "spectacularly" to govern the state, Moitra alleged.
"Today, 6,000 people are at the heritage site (in Old Goa) protesting the fact that they have illegally started construction inside ASI (Archeological Survey of India) site," she said.
Moitra also raised the murder case of teenage girl Sidhi Naik, which is yet to be solved.
"Goans say that they are not feeling safe, there is rape, murder and crime against women," she added.
Earlier, speaking at BJP workers' convention at Valpoi Assembly constituency in North Goa, Nadda had urged the people of the state to shun the TMC as well as the AAP.
"If we look at the parameters like number one (state) in crime against women, deteriorated law and order situation and overall crime rate, then all these things are present in West Bengal," the BJP chief had said.