Will Recommend Centre To Ban Popular Front Of India: Goa Chief Minister

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday called out the Popular Front of India (PFI) over their statement countering his anti-conversion remark, and said that he would recommend to the Centre to ban the organisation.

He also said that the BJP-led Goa government will never promote religious conversions in the state.

In an exclusive interview with news agency ANI, Mr Sawant said, "PFI's statement over my anti-conversion remark was irrelevant as there'll be opposition to the increasing conversion cases in Goa. We'll never promote religious conversions in the state. PFI should be banned. We'll recommend to the Government of India to stop them."

"There must be no (religious) conversion in Goa, and we will look into it," he added.

Mr Sawant recently said that the religious conversions are increasing in Goa and marginalised people are being targeted, adding that his government would not allow such conversions to take place in the state.

Reacting to this, Congress' Michael Lobo alleged that by making such statements the Chief Minister was trying to polarize one section of the society.

Mr Lobo stated that Mr Sawant's remarks are unwarranted and have sent a "very negative message to the people of the state, adding that he needs to withdraw his statement."

On similar lines, the extremist Islamic organisation PFI had said, "Instead of focussing on this (inflation), he makes his bosses in Nagpur happy. We urge the people of Goa not to give attention to the Chief Minister's statement and focus on the issues common people face."

Further talking about the demolition of a 300-year-old Shiva temple in Rajasthan's Alwar district, Mr Sawant called it "not right" and said that the BJP in Goa is trying to preserve spirituality.

"We are working for the reconstruction of all the temples which were demolished by the Portuguese. We have also ear-marked Rs 20 crore in our Budget for the same," he added

Taking a dig at the Congress-led Rajasthan government for their "anti-Hindu stand", Mr Sawant praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas" policy.

The Chief Minister also reacted to the ongoing debate on the Uniform Civil Code in Goa. Mr Sawant said that Goa is the first state to maintain a uniform civil code after liberation.

"We are the first state which has given equal rights to women in birthplace, property registration and marriage registration. So, I will say that there has to be a uniform civil code and must be followed," he added.

The Uniform Civil Code is a proposal in India to formulate and implement personal laws of citizens which apply to all citizens equally regardless of their religion, sex, gender and sexual orientation. Currently, the personal laws of various communities are governed by their religious scriptures.

The code comes under Article 44 of the Constitution which lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India. Notably, in BJP's 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto, BJP promised the implementation of UCC if it comes to power.

On Ram Navami this year, 15 people were arrested following the clash between two groups in South Goa's Vasco.

To this, Mr Sawant said, "This is the first time in Goa that such violent incidents have happened. It is very unfortunate but what I think is migration is the cause. We in Goa live cordially, that is our aim."

Notably, this was Mr Sawant's first visit to Mumbai after becoming the Chief Minister for the second term.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)