Opposition parties and industry bodies have come down on the Pramod Sawant-led BJP government in Goa after it declared May 10 as a paid holiday in the state in view of Assembly elections in neigbouring Karnataka.

On Monday, the BJP regime issued a notification declaring May 10 as a paid holiday in the state in view of the Karnataka Assembly polls.

As per the notification, the holiday also covers government servants and workers in private establishments and the industrial sectors.

However, the decision has invited sharp criticism from industry bodies and opposition parties with Goa State Industries Association president Damodar Kochkar questioning the rationale behind the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led government’s “absurd and stupid” decision.

In a statement, Kockhar accused the BJP government of taking industries to ransom for electoral gains and said that they are considering legal means to tackle such unilateral decisions by the government that harm the state’s industrial and private sector.

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Opposition, including the Bharatiya Janata Party’s bitter rival, the Delhi Chief Minister-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also slammed the goverment’s decision.

Calling the holiday a “foolish decision”, AAP’s Goa chief Amit Palekar that it comes as no surprise that the BJP takes “unilateral and dictatorial” decisions in the most “undemocratic” manner possible.

The Goa Forward Party (GFP) also condemned the state government over the decision.

Meanwhie, the state government has defended the decision saying that Karnataka had also declared a paid holiday on the day of Goa Assembly polls last year and the Pramod Sawant dispensation was merely returning the favour.

Responding to the criticisms over the holiday, Goa industries minister Mauvin Godinho on Tuesday claimed that some Opposition members are merely creating an unnecessary issue over the holiday as the state government was merely following a practice.

Godinho said the Goa State Industries Association has “over-reacted”.

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