PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said there is no place for caste and religion-based politics in Goa.
“A political party cannot function on the basis of caste and religion. If people’s sentiments are hurt in this manner, unity cannot last long,” Sawant said, referring to alleged internal divisions and social media comments targeting a particular religion and its deities.
He was speaking while reacting to the latest political developments surrounding the regional party- Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) wherein Manoj Parab has resigned as president, founder member and also quit politics.
Calling Parab’s resignation “unfortunate”, the Chief Minister said the RGP leadership had worked hard to build the regional outfit into a political force in Goa.
Sawant added that while regional parties were important for democracy in Goa, politics driven by religion and caste would be dangerous for the future.
“What started as a movement in 2016 became a regional party in 2021. Nobody imagined they would secure nearly 10 per cent vote share in their very first Assembly election, even though only one MLA was elected,” Sawant said.
He praised Parab, RGP MLA Viresh Borkar, and the party’s team for their groundwork across Goa.
“Building a party across all sectors in Goa requires tremendous hard work. I appreciate the efforts and performance of their entire team,” he said.
Referring to Parab’s emotional resignation, Sawant said the developments pointed to deeper internal tensions within the party.
“The way Parab, who is a strong leader of the party, broke down yesterday over internal issues shows there is serious concern,” he said.
