Align with secular parties, UGDP urges Muslims

Align with secular parties, UGDP urges Muslims 
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, OCT 9
The United Goans Democratic Party has urged the Muslim community not to field candidates in the name of religion but instead align with other secular parties during the forthcoming elections to defeat the corrupt and covertly communal Congress and the overtly communal BJP.
UGDP vice-President Adv Radharao Gracias said the party is not in favour of any religious group fielding candidates at elections  as such an attitude is divisive and undemocratic. Nevertheless, he said it is a fact that the Muslim community in Margao has been completely neglected by the Congress despite the overwhelming support by the community to the Congress at election time.
“Unfortunately, the Muslims support the Congress is only due to the vehement anti minority stance of the BJP and not because the Congress deserves such support”, he said.
Radharao said the UGDP is glad that the Muslim community from Margao has woken up though late, to the fact that the Congress merely takes the Muslim vote for granted, and neglects the community after elections.
 “This is an aspect which the UGDP has been highlighting over the years. In fact the UGDP has in recent times twice fielded including at the last elections Muslim candidate from Fatorda Assembly Constituency and once from Margao”, he added.
He pointed out that over 10500 persons have been recruited for government jobs during the last three years of Congress rule as admitted at the last Assembly session, out of which less than 800 hundred are from the minority communities which constitute thirty eight per cent of the population of Goa.
“The recruitment policy of the Government is completely anti minority as is evident from the fact that less than ten percent of the recruits are from the minority community. There is no other explanation unless the Congress claims that the Catholics and the Muslims are unfit to be Government servants”, Radharao added.