Panaji, Feb 28 (IANS) The VHP's decision to start a re-conversion drive for Christians in Goa has attracted widespread criticism, with Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar warning people not to make provocative remarks.
The opposition Saturday criticized Daba Vedak, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad secretary in-charge of Satsang division, for trying to foment communal trouble in the state with his remarks made Friday.
"I feel as the chief minister that nobody should make any statement that would disturb or affect communal harmony," Parsekar said.
Earlier, ahead of VHP's golden jubilee function in Goa, Dada Vedak told IANS that its senior leaders would discuss issues like re-conversion and how to approach them in next 50 years.
"Thousands of our brothers were converted to Christianity due to Portuguese oppression. We will, of course, make efforts to bring them back to the Hindu fold once we strengthen our organisation here," Vedak said.
He added that the VHP would reach out to Christians converted during the Portuguese regime with "love and affection".
Goa, a former Portuguese colony, has a population of 1.5 million of which 26 percent are Christians.
The opposition Saturday joined the protest against the remark.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that attempts were being made to "vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of Goa" and said that "radical elements" in the state should be put under close watch.
AAP also said that it was ironic for the VHP leader to make a communally insensitive statement on the same day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi told parliament that his government believed in only one religion - "India First".
"This can mean only two things... that either Modi and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) have lost all influence and control over the Sangh Parivar organisations or we are being fed the classic good-cop-bad-cop routine to allow Modi to establish an image of secular statesman while the so-called 'fringe elements' slowly but steadily going mainstream," AAP's Valmiki Naik said.
The Congress too condemned the VHP statement.
"Goa is becoming a testing laboratory for Modi and his government," said Congress spokesperson Durgadas Kamat.
I am at present in Karnprayag of Chamoli district. Like Tawang, Galvan, Doklam of the China borde
Operation Gadul of security forces against terrorists in Anantnag of South Kashmir continues for
India is a major aviation market for the Asia Pacific region as well as the rest of the world and
Petrol and diesel will soon be cheap. It is reported that the Finance Ministry is planning to red
Coronavirus: Corona is hiding in a new place in the body, now even RT-PCR test is not being detected
The second wave of Corona in India is wreaking havoc. The variant of Coronavirus that has led to
Gujarat Titans have announced the replacement of Kane Williamson who has been ruled out of IPL 20
Shivaji Jayanti: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's birth anniversary is being celebrated in the count
On the sixth day of the ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist gro
After losing the first match in the T20 World Cup qualifiers, Sri Lanka made a great comeback. Th
RAT investigation: the truth of the corona crisis in Delhi?
Since the meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on June 14 with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
