MARGAO
Former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao on Friday said he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to revoke the Indian passports of Goans obtaining Portuguese passports, but to offer dual citizenship for the Portuguese passport holders, insisting that Goans have taken the Portuguese passport for the sole purpose of employment.
Saying his statement saluting the Portugal government on citizenships for Goans has caused misconceptions in certain quarters, Churchill said he had lauded the Portuguese for giving the passport facility for the people of Goa, who can avail the benefit for the purpose of employment abroad, especially in Europe.
Addressing the media, Churchill said he does not want to go into the question whether the Portuguese were good or bad, with people being the best judges. He said that thousands of Goan youth and families have made it to the UK and other European countries just because they had the Portuguese passport.
“Our Goan brothers and sisters have taken advantage of the passport facility and are now employed in the UK and other European countries. Not only Christians, but Hindus and Muslims have availed the Portuguese facility to earn a livelihood in Europe. They have not taken the Portuguese passport to settle in Portugal or other European countries, but to eke out a living and support their families back home,” he added.
Saying that Goans who have obtained Portuguese passports do not vote in Portugal or in other countries, Churchill said providing dual citizenship will protect the voting rights of Goans who have obtained Portuguese passports. “The Portuguese passport has helped our youth to get jobs abroad and maintain their families back home. Their remittances have also helped to spur the local economy,” Churchill said.
'Not interested in contesting LS polls'
Saying he has no interest in contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, former two-time MP Churchill Alemao said he would support the candidate who will win the South Goa seat.
“I will support the candidate who will win. Let us wait. If there is a good candidate, I will support them. When I first contested the Lok Sabha polls in 1996, the Congress had launched a campaign against me that I would end up in understanding the roads in Delhi,” he said.
Asked whether he would support the BJP in the coming polls, Churchill shot back: “We will have to support the party which supports the people of Goa.”
