Sj Desk
Panaji: At a function in North Goa to mark the 58th anniversary of Goa’s Liberation, Goa CM Pramod Sawant said that Christians and Muslims residing in the state need not fear the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 as the law will not affect them.
A day after over 2000 Goans joined the nation in a silent protest opposing CAA + NRC, at Azad Maidan in Panaji, the Goa CM said that the CAA may “not be required” at all in the state. Sawant urged citizens “not to fall prey” to “misleading campaigns”. “As the chief minister, I want to tell every Goan that no one should not misguide others and people should not fall prey to such misleading campaigns. As the chief minister, it is my duty to protect the interests of every Goan whether it is a Hindu, Muslim or Christian,” he said.
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Even as Congress has accused the BJP-led government in Goa of putting the lives of thousands of Goans with Portuguese passports and their immediate families in peril, no real solution or clarification on the matter has been voiced by Sawant. The opposition party is demanding the BJP to explain how the interests of thousands of Goan Portuguese passport holders and their immediate kin will be safeguarded.
Amidst nationwide protests, the chief minister has assured people belonging to all regions living in the state to not fear the Citizenship Act as it would not affect them.
“Whether it is Hindus, Christians or Muslims, all of us have lived in peace before the liberation and even after that. We must all make efforts to make this bond even stronger,” Pramod Sawant said.
