MAPUSA
The Goa government’s initiative against religious conversion has no political motives, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Tuesday, even as he said that the government was working on a new anti-conversion law which could be tabled in the State assembly in the upcoming session.
The Chief Minister was responding to several questions posed to him during ‘Head-On’, a popular interview programme on Prudent Media.
“I am reiterating that I am not doing it for votes. We are a progressive State. We want to move ahead. What is important is to know the history of the State and move ahead. Forceful conversions should be stopped and it is my right to stop conversions if anyone complains,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister has been at the receiving end of criticism by the opposition as well as a section of civil society which has accused him and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government in Goa of trying to stoke communal feelings in the State with the temple restoration issue as well as with the anti-conversion rhetoric.
Sawant also sought to dispel doubts about following a ‘Hindutva agenda’ in the State and added that the move was not aimed at consolidating Hindu votes, but added that it was necessary to protect the culture of Goa and preserve the history of the State for posterity.
The Chief Minister also said that forceful conversion by way of lure or hypnoticism will never be tolerated in the State and if need be a new law will also be brought to stop such conversions.
“My legal team is studying it and if such a law has to be brought then we will bring it,” he said.
The Chief Minister further said his statements on forceful conversion and building of temples were being wrongly misinterpreted and that he never ever differentiated between the minority and the majority communities in the State and he would never intend to do so in future.
Expressing anguish as to why some people were feeling hurt by his statements on temple restoration and conversion, Sawant said that temples were showcasing the culture of Goa and nobody had a right to indulge in conversion.
He said there were no elections in the near future and therefore no one should attribute the statement to consolidate the majority votes in the State.
“Goa is the only State that follows the Uniform Civil Code and Goa is an advanced State. Our dream is to make Goa a tourism hub. I have never differentiated between minority and majority and will never do (so) in future,” he stated.
The Chief Minister, however, stressed that the present law was very weak to tackle the issue of conversion and if required a new law would be introduced.
He also said the BJP was not in an election mode and the present constituency-wise meetings were being held to celebrate the eight years of the central government and to make people aware of various government schemes.
“BJP is not doing politics only for elections sake. We are not like other parties. I want all government schemes to reach every person. We have shortlisted all the schemes and will ensure that the schemes will reach each and every beneficiary,” he said.
He claimed that in the 2024 parliamentary elections the BJP will win both the Lok Sabha seats and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will get a thumping mandate with 324 seats in the country.
