MARGAO
As the BJP juggernaut entered Salcete in the Christian and ST-dominated Curtorim constituency on Wednesday as part of the Viksit Sankalp Yatra, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant tried to woo the minority community by reminding how Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Christmas with Christian brothers and had a meeting with Pope Francis with an invitation to visit India.
The CM also reminded the ST brethren that the "double-engine" BJP government has given a nod for the bill for political reservations for the Scheduled tribes in Goa in the 2027 Assembly election.
Accusing the Congress of instilling fear in the minds of the minorities that the BJP is communal, the Chief Minister said his government has never discriminated against any citizens based on caste, creed or religion.
Saying that the Prime Minister has invited Pope Francis to visit India, the Chief Minister said that what the Prime Minister has done is real secularism.
Throwing up a challenge for the Congress to show what the party had done to give a facelift to Old Goa during its rule, the Chief Minister said the BJP government under the leadership of late Manohar Parrikar had spent Rs 50 crore to tone up the amenities at the complex. Saying that Prime Minister Modi’s government has sanctioned Rs 17 crore for the exposition of St Francis Xavier later this year, the Chief Minister dared the South Goa Congress MP Francisco Sardinha to tell the people what the Congress had done for Old Goa.
Saying the BJP is committed to giving political reservations for the ST Communities in the 2027 election, the Chief Minister lashed out at the Congress for bringing the ST communities on the road during their rule between 2007-12, resulting in the deaths of two tribal youths in the Balli agitation.
In his brief address, Salcete's lone Minister Aleixo Sequeira said the BJP is not communal as is painted by the opposition but is a secular party. He blamed the fundamentalist elements in all religions for fermenting trouble and vitiating the peaceful atmosphere in Goa.
BJP ST leader Anthony Barbosa thanked the Chief Minister for honouring the promise given to the ST community to provide reservations to the ST community in the 2027 Assembly election.
