PANAJI
Amid concerns over recent incidents of crime, BJP Goa President Damu Naik on Thursday defended the government’s handling of law and order, asserting that Goa continues to maintain a high crime detection rate. He also took the opportunity to blame the prevailing crime climate on “seeds planted by Congress over the last six decades.”
Replying to media queries on the sidelines of a press conference, Naik said the BJP government, which came to power in 2012, has been working to stabilise and strengthen the policing system, but the social and demographic changes shaping Goa today are rooted in decisions and policies made long before the BJP era.
“Congress says crime is happening during the BJP’s time because we have been in power since 2012. However, the truth is that whatever seeds the Congress planted over the last 60 years, their fruits are now being seen...What is happening today is not just from these 10 years,” he said.
On the trend of Goans selling ancestral land to outsiders, Naik said the party could only appeal, not legislate, to prevent such transactions. “Goa’s own people are selling their land. We can only appeal not to sell, or sell it to Goans. There is no rule to stop it,” he stated.
Responding to the recent incident of an LED board flashing ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ in Baga and Arpora, Naik said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has already issued strict directions to authorities to act promptly. “The CM has taken serious note and instructed strong action. Such things will not be tolerated,” he said.
Meanwhile, on “Vande Mataram’s” 150 years, the BJP has appealed for mass singing of the national song.
The Government of India already announced a year-long programme to commemorate the occasion, beginning on November 7, 2025, and continuing until November 7, 2026.
