MARGAO
Asserting that the Goa government and its allies are mute spectators to the pouring of vitriolic hatred on Lord Jesus Christ in Gujarat, Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco on Saturday said the so-called party with a difference is now overtly revealing its true secularism and divisive colours on the anti-minority agenda it has when it comes to governance.
“Recently, it’s State government in Gujarat has again proved it’s hard core Hindutva agenda when it in its state class 9th Hindi text book, described Lord Jesus Christ as “hevaan Isha” ie demon or evil spirit or devil,” Reginaldo told the media on Saturday.
The Curtorim MLA, however, demanded to know why not a single castigating remark has come from the Goans representing in Parliament and the legislative assembly who take the very support of the people of Goa, especially minorities to get elected, adding “when need be, these very BJP and it’s allies talk about Goa and Goemkarponn”.
He said what is utterly condemnable and completely unacceptable is that no reaction has either come from Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar or his government allies when Goa has been a role model when it comes to communal amity between Hindus, Catholics and Muslims.
“Well, I can understand Manohar Parrikar having softest of the soft corner towards his bosses in Nagpur “ the RSS and this might have forced him to keep his lips glued. However, what has happened to our other fellow Goemkars in the Parliament or the Goa legislative assembly, be it Shripad Naik or Narendra Sawaikar, Vijai Sardesai or Rohan Khaunte or Michael Lobo or Babu Azgaonkar or Nilesh Cabral or Francis D’Souza or Vishwajit Rane or Pandurang Madkaikar or Mauvin Godinho or Alina Saldanha or Francis D’Souza in the government and many more supporting it,” he asked.
Reginaldo said it appears that the supporting MLAs as well as the BJP legislators have succumbed to the RSS ideology. “It is now clear that minorities and people of weaker sections matters to these Goan Ministers and MLAs only during the elections. The deafening silence on the part of Goan elected representatives would irreparably damage the co-existence of religions in Goa as well as in India,” he said, adding “let us not forget the anti-Christ portion in the new 9th school books of Gujarat is neither a technical or typo error, but a well thought RSS anti-Christian ostracism of the minorities.
When asked why he has raked up an issue concerning Gujarat and the ruling government there, Reginaldo said he has raised the issue so that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar takes up the issue with his Gujarat counterpart and set the things right.
