Says it's meant to give relief to those hit by Board encroachments
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant with party leaders, including MLA Digambar Kamat, State BJP President Damu Naik at the party workers Margao Melava on Tuesday.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
In what is seen as a major outreach to the Muslim community post-Waqf Board Bill passage in Parliament, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday assured members of the Muslim community that the Waqf Board Bill is not aimed at controlling the Board or meting out harassment to the Muslim community, but to give relief to people affected by encroachments by the Waqf Board.
Devoting major part of his address at the BJP Margao workers melava here on Tuesday, the Chief Minister pointed out that Goa has never seen communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims unlike other states, while making a fervent plea to the people maintain the age old communal peace and amity.
The Chief Minister’s outreach assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the fact that the Muslim voters constitutes sizeable votes in most of the constituencies in South Goa, more so in Margao, Fatorda, constituencies in Mormugoa taluka, besides Ponda taluka.
In fact, the BJP had taken a beating in constituency such as Margao in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with a large section of the minority community rallying behind the Congress, leaving the BJP stranded midway.
“Waqf Board Bill is not intended to cause any harassment to the Muslim community. It is a religious body with an avowed objective of carrying out charity works. We have no issues with such bodies. Why the government has brought the Waqf Board Bill Amendment is to protect the common man from encroachments by the Board. Thousands of people have lodged their complaints against Waqf Board, including complaints by 20,000 Muslims across the country”, he said.
Saying that Goa has no issues with Waqf Board since the state is governed by the Common Civil Code, the Chief Minister said the BJP is committed to protect the interests of all sections of people as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan Sab ka saath, Sab kas vikas, sab ka prayas. “I also firmly believed in the PM’s slogan. We have MLA Digambar Kamat who has always taken together all sections of the society in Margao”, he said.
Saying that Goa is leading the country on Common Civil Code, the Chief Minister reminded that people from all religious communities, be they Hindus, Christians and Muslims, they have been guided by the Common Civil code be it marriage registration, property registration et al.
“Citizens of Goa are bound by the Common Civil code. In Goa, we have not seen communal tensions like in other states. We have to maintain the communal amity and peace and unity”, he said.
Saying that the people of Margao had stood solidly behind Digambar Kamat in the past, the Chief Minister has expressed confidence that the people will show the same love and affection for the Margao MLA in the future as well.
