the goan I network
PANAJI
The comments of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Radha Krishna Manori was at the receiving end of political outrage for his comments promising to end beef eating in Goa with calls for banning him from entering the state on the lines of Sri Rama Sene’s Pramod Muthalik.
The opposition accusing the ruling government of being complicit in creating communal disharmony in the state while the ruling party coalition partners have defended the government saying that the statements do not reflect government policy.
The loudest have been the calls of action against the VHP leader and his associates including banning him from entering the State for the government to prove its serious commitment to the issue.
Up to defend the government was its Curchorem legislator Nilesh Cabral.
“Already the BJP has clarified on Subramanian Swamy’s earlier statement. Not only in Goa, but across the country every religion has its own sentiments. There is already a ban on cow slaughter in Goa. Who is VHP to make such statements?” Cabral asked.
“There is already an elected government in place in the State. Let it decide by taking into consideration sentiments of the people. This is democracy and not dictatorship. If they want to act like dictators then let them go to a country where dictatorship exists,” he added.
The VHP had not only targeted cow slaughter but also the beef eating habits of Goans. “We will do what Hindu society wants. We will not allow cow slaughtering or allow anyone to eat beef in Goa,” he said.
“Like elsewhere in the country, in Goa too we are awakening the people against cow slaughtering and beef eating. You will have to wait for another one or two years and our Bajarang Dal and Durga Vahini workers will stop cow slaughtering in Goa,” Manori had said.
The opposition Congress however sought to bring out the distinction.
“Under the Goa Daman and Diu Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, the killing of the cow is already banned. We respect the sentiments of those who think of the cow as sacred, but they are propagating ignorance that cow slaughter is prevalent in Goa,” GPCC President Luizinho Faleiro said adding that only bull, bullock and buffalo meat is slaughtered in Goa.
Faleiro said that BJP was pushing forward its hidden agenda of Hindutva buy allowing people of the parivar to make such statements.
“Every eight days there is some statement about beef ban in Goa. The VHP is a frontal organisation of the BJP. This is a hidden agenda of the BJP. They (those who make these statements) are not coming from the sky, they are being brought in with an agenda of polarization and division,” Faleiro charged.
He also said that such a vitiated atmosphere was being promoted by the government to drive the price of beef up so that they can get a commission to “allow” the sale of beef in Goa.
MGP leader and Tourism Minister Manohar “Babu” Azgaonkar said that there was no question of beef ban in Goa. “For me personally, there should not be any objection to the choices a person has on what he eats. I don’t have any objection at all. For years, people have had the choice on what to eat and what to drink. How can we stop that age old tradition?” Azgaonkar asked.
Minister of Revenue and independent MLA Rohan Khaunte said that the statements were deliberately being made in a bid to paint the government in a bad light.
“People who are making such statements should be held accountable. Goa is secular and will remain secular. These type of people don’t live in Goa, they don’t have a presence in Goa but are making statements. These are not from the BJP. Over the last few days there have been many such statements,” Khaunte said adding that “certain elements do not want to see the coalition government succeed.” “We will never allow this to happen and not allow anybody to ruin the harmonious atmosphere in Goa,” Khaunte said.
AAP demands ban on Manori’s entry
PANAJI: The Aam Aadmi Party called for a ban on the entry of VHP Secretary Radha Krishna Manori into the State in the wake of his comments on the beef ban.
“The highly vitriolic public statement of Manori suggesting that private armies of the VHP will take law in their hands to impose a beef ban in Goa is despicable and a grave crime. It attracts criminal charges under provisions of the IPC dealing with causing discord among different communities in Goa,” AAP’s Valmiki Naik said while reacting to the statements on the issue. “VHP is an affiliate of the BJP. The Chief Minister’s will to act is under doubt,” Valmiki said. The AAP also termed the statements of the Goa Forward party as mere lip service to the government. “You are not the government. You can’t be just a paper tiger anymore. If you have the guts, act and ban Manori from entering Goa,” Valmiki Naik said.
