PANAJI
Days after a rare incidence of communal violence in South Goa’s Baina on Sunday, Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo on Thursday warned of efforts being made to spoil the state’s famed communal harmony by outsiders.
While speaking at a function organised at Congress House to mark the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Lobo also said that the government should take responsibility for cracking down on such attempts to vitiate the communal atmosphere in Goa.
“You have seen in recent days what has happened. Efforts are on to divide us. People from Goa should think, who is doing this? Are there Goans involved in this? I do not know. Some persons from outside are trying to divide us,” Lobo said in his speech at the state Congress headquarters in Panaji.
Lobo, however, did not refer directly to the Ram Navami day violence at Islampur in Baina, which has resulted in the immediate transfer of two police officers and the arrest of 15 persons so far. The incident led to police officials issuing a public call for setting up mohalla committees in the area to maintain harmony between the two religious groups.
Members of both religious groups also met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant seeking action against the culprits responsible for the violence.
“The government of the day should take responsibility, and should not shy away from this. This is something which is not acceptable,” the Leader of Opposition also said.
“We cannot jump into that mode of division which they are trying to do. I think that everyone needs to think, that if India has to progress, the small state of Goa needs to progress then we all need to come together. We may belong to different religions, but the Constitution brings us together,” The Calangute MLA said.
“We have friends across religions. We sit with them, we eat with them. But we should not look at them in a different light,” Lobo also said.
