A handful of minority leaders from the BJP whilst addressing the media were heard applauding the recent statement of Archbishop Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao against utterances on other religions and also advising the government to henceforth take a strong action against their own Church leaders who are found criticising other people's religions to desperately impress their own top party leadership from Delhi/Goa. Well, I too firmly believe that religious leaders, whether a Catholic priest, Hindu priest or a Muslim priest should not go to make fun and mock Gods of other religious followers to promote their own religions. Unfortunately, what I would like to know is where were the above minority leaders when Subhash Velingkar had insulted the religious sentiments of all the Catholics in the state by openly saying at a press conference that St Francis Xavier is not a 'Goencho Saib' of Goa? And why they have never bothered to hold press conferences after seeing so many non-Goan religious leaders coming to Ponda every year and making open hate speeches against the minorities during their annual so-called 'All India Religious Convention' to disturb the centuries old communal harmony of Goa. I think that if these so-called 'Christian-minority leaders' of the BJP are concerned about the communal harmony of this state then they should dare to raise their voice and advise their own government to take strong action against the hate-mongers/trouble-makers of all religions.
