Vijai condemns VHP’s beef ban remark

Team Herald

MARGAO: Condemning the VHP statement to ban beef consumption, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai said the government will step in to ban the entry of such elements who try to disturb the communal harmony of the State as was done with Pramod Muthalik.

Briefing media persons on Monday, he said he has already discussed the matter with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who he said, agreed with him and informed that he was speaking on behalf of the government that such elements seeking to create mischief, will not be allowed in Goa.

However, while dodging questions on Subramanian Swamy’s earlier statement and present VHP statement regarding beef, he said that was best discussed with the Chief Minister and asserted that he and his Goa Forward Party were going strictly by the Constitution of India.

Pointing out that the Constitution permits all Indians to consume what they want, he said the VHP’s statement that they will stop consumption of beef is against the Constitution and hence the government will have to step in to take action to prevent any disturbance or nuisance in Goa.

He said the secular people and particularly secular Hindus of Goa had shown the 

radical elements their place at the last elections where these elements were totally routed and added that if VHP claims to have cadres then his party too has cadres capable of fighting the radical elements.

“Goa Forward has been elected to take Goa forward and such retrograde elements are taking Goa backward,” he said, adding that it was particularly obnoxious that the statement was made on Easter Sunday.

Further, he cautioned that such elements would destroy the Goan culture of pluralism that attracts tourists and would be detrimental to the State’s economy. 

Terming these statements as “anti-Goa and anti-Goan”, he said the VHP was hitting at Goa’s purse strings.

Goa Forward spokesman Prashant Naik said his party will take on such elements head on as they are threatening the tourism industry in Goa.

He said the party and its MLAs will take up the matter of Sonshi residents with the Chief Minister and work out a way to enable the poor villagers, who cannot arrange their bail, to be released shortly.