Overview

• During the May 30 Goa Statehood Day event in Panaji, a Congress banner displayed Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Amit Patkar and Yuri Alemao but excluded Mallikarjun Kharge’s photo
• On May 31 the Goa BJP posted the banner on X, alleging the omission was a deliberate insult to the party’s Dalit national president
• Goa Congress chief Amit Patkar said the missing image was an unintentional error and noted Kharge’s photo appears on other event posters
• Patkar dismissed criticism as a minor mistake and signaled the party would focus on pressing policy issues rather than the banner row
• The incident has heightened BJP–Congress tensions in Goa and underscored sensitivities around caste representation in political messaging