Team Herald
PANJIM: Bouyed by the momentum its protests on government grants to Diocesan schools are gaining, Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) on Tuesday warned to launch a simultaneous campaign against the Centre’s attempts to resolve the dual citizenship issue ahead of 2017 elections. BBSM also condemned the State government’s revival plan of the Fontainhas Festival.
“Along with our present demand to stop grants to English medium primary schools, we have decided to take up the dual citizenship issue as well as revival plan of Fontainhas Festival. These political attempts of State and Union governments are to garner votes from the minority community,” RSS Goa Chief and BBSM leader Subhash Velingkar told media persons.
Arguing that the BJP-led governments in Goa and at the Centre were resorting to anti-national moves, BBSM’s senior leader Arvind Bhatikar warned to expose the intentions of the governments through various forums. “We are against dual citizenship. We will protest if the Centre sets up a special Central Authority in Goa,” he said.
Last week, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had said that a central government constituted committee that studied and recommended solutions to the dual citizenship issue is ready with the report and a notification would be issued soon. He had announced setting up a special Central Authority in the State to deal with the issue in a bid to ensure that Goans, who have registered their births in Portugal, do not suffer further.
Similarly, BBSM is also objecting to the revival plan of Fontainhas Festival.
Differences between the RSS and the BJP were evident at the time of Corporation of City of Panaji elections in March when the saffron party’s manifesto had spoken about the festival.
