TEAM HERALD
[email protected]
MARGAO: In an interesting development on the citizenship issue that comes a day after the Chief Minister and Home Minister Manohar Parrikar asserted that Goans do not lose citizenship on registration of birth in Portugal, the Colva police has registered a FIR against the Sarpanch of Majorda Moises Vaz and his parents for possessing Portuguese citizenship.
Perhaps for the first time since the citizenship row erupted in the state post-2012 polls, the police has moved in to register an FIR against an alleged holder of Portuguese citizenship. The Colva police booked the Majorda sarpanch under various sections of the IPC, besides the Passport Act, Foreigners Act and the People’s Representation Act. The police has also booked the sarpanch and his parents under Section 119, 177, 217, 218, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B for criminal conspiracy under the IPC.
The case was registered following a complaint lodged by activist Kashinath Shetye and Dr Ketan Govekar against the sarpanch and his family members including his father Francisco Antonio Vas and mother Maria Josefa Braganca for having dual citizenship and threat to national security.
Colva police station in-charge, PI Uttam Raut Desai said the police has registered the case against the Majorda sarpanch and his parents upon the complaint lodged by Shetye. “We have registered the case and investigation has begun in the case,” he said.
He evaded a question when asked whether the police has any authority to register a case when the Prescribed Authority in the Union Home Ministry is the authority in deciding questions relating to citizenship.
In their complaint, Shetye and Govekar called for the prosecution of the Majorda sarpanch under Section 125-A of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951 for allegedly concealing the vital information in the affidavit.
The complainants contended that the Portuguese Consulate here in Goa does not even take the trouble of enquiring with the Goa Government/Indian Government and verifying the credentials of the person applying, adding that they only verify that the mother and father or for that reason grandfather or their grandmother is registered or not? “They don’t even verify that the mother and father was or for that reason the grandfather, grandmother are their real parents through the Indian Government for this reasons alone number of this BI are got by forging documents,” he said.
Saying that Carte De Cidade now and previously Bilhette de Identidade, is a proof of one’s Portuguese Nationality, the duo, however, said the authorities in India do not check at that stage if a person has surrendered Indian citizenship or no.
“Literally speaking, a person cannot stand for election, work in Goa government or Indian government and cannot vote, etc. He is a dual citizen, who is not recognised by Indian government till date,” he said.
Meanwhile, the United Goans Democratic Party has saluted the Goa police for what it called as the outright rejection of the interpretation of Citizenship law by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
UGDP senior leader Adv Radharao Gracias quoted the Chief Minister as saying in the media that mere registration of birth in Portugal does not amount to citizenship in that country. “There appears confusion within the government on what constitutes Portuguese citizenship. While the Chief Minister had rejected Union Home Ministry’s order declaring that Caitu has ceased to be an Indian citizen, the Colva police has not accepted the Chief Minister’s version on the issue,” Radharao said, while asking the government to come clear on the issue.
I’m an Indian citizen: Vaz
MARGAO: Beleaguered Majorda Sarpanch Moises Vaz has denied that he is a Portuguese citizen and asserted that he still holds the Indian passport.
When Herald sought his reaction on the registration of FIR by the Colva police on his citizenship status, Moises firmly denied that he is a citizen of Portugal. “I want to clarify that I am an Indian citizen and a holder of Indian passport,” he asserted.
Sources said the Majorda sarpanch consulted his lawyer on how to go about the matter and may take legal recourse against the Colva police action.
Incidentally, a disqualification petition is pending against the Majorda sarpanch before the Administrative Tribunal on grounds that he is a Portuguese citizen. Vaz, who has been holding the reigns as Majorda sarpanch, since the 2012 election, belongs to the Nuvem MLA Mickky Pacheco’s camp.
