MARGAO: Curtorim Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco has demanded an immediate apology from Cabinet Minister Michael Lobo for his statements against the Goans holding OCIs (Overseas Citizenship of India). 

"The recent statement made by the Ports Minister, Michael Lobo that OCIs do not have any right to comment on Goa because they are no longer Goans is highly condemnable" said Reginaldo. 

"The Minister further repudiates the expatriates Goans, by saying that they should be more interested in what is happening in Portugal or in London. This is totally objectionable and is an insult to Niz Goemkars. In the face of the all-round glaring failures by the BJP State government on the governance front for the past eight years, I request Lobo not to divert the attention of Goemkars by making silly and absurd statements against expatriate Goans or Non-Resident Goans," Reginaldo added, while praising NRIs for having played a stupendous role in the economic development of Goa since pre liberation. "Lobo must rather find ways to try and fulfil all the failed promises of successive BJP state governments, quipped Reginaldo. 

He said he would like to enlighten Lobo that Goemkars have gone and settled in the overseas only for economic reasons and that their heart and soul lies with Goa and with Niz Goemkars. 

“Hence he should not negate their voicing concern from overseas on the so called ugly development projects unleashed on Goa by the Centre headed by the duo of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, which has resulted in irreparable ecological loss like uprooting thousands of trees, cutting down of numerous hills, polluting water bodies, turning Goa into a coal hub etc," he added.

Recalling how he had castigated Lobo in 2018, for speaking ill against the former deputy Chief Minister (late) Francis D’souza, Reginaldo reiterated that Lobo should apologise to the Goan diaspora and added that Lobo should never forget that NRIs from Goa are 100% Goans. 

Meanwhile AAP Convenor Elvis Gomes reacted to the controversy and said, “This is not the voice of Michael Lobo. On what forum it has come up is to be noted. This is the voice of a suitcase' person.” 

He added that he had not seen OCIs stopping any development and that they speak about environmental destruction.