CM says love jihad cases in Goa, state needs anti-conversion law
Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said in the assembly that it is time Goa also brought in anti-conversion laws like Uttar Pradesh to curb cases of 'love jihad'.
Sawant said many cases of love jihad were reported earlier in Goa too and he will release the numbers soon.
His statement was, however, opposed by Goa Forward Party's Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, who said the CM is trying to push his party's national agenda in Goa.
'We need to bring in the anti-conversion law and all of you from Congress need to support it. Love jihad cases came to light in Goa too earlier. When we spoke about it, at that time you all said there is no such thing as love jihad. There are cases in Goa, I will put up the figures soon,' said Sawant.
The CM's remarks came after the opposition criticised govt for Goa police being unable to track the movements of alleged accused Ayesha, who was recently arrested by Uttar Pradesh police in an anti-conversion case.
'There are no cases of love jihad in Goa. He should give the number of such cases. We are diverting from the issue of a transnational network which also saw activities from Goa. No Goans live in Aldeia de Goa (gated complex where accused Ayesha's parents rented a flat) and nobody knows what the residents there are up to,' said Sardesai.
Sawant said that the anti-conversion law is only against forcefully done conversions and will not in any way interfere with willing inter-religious marriages. 'But conversion should not take place by offering lures like money, etc,' said the CM.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Congress protests ‘forced' entry into Mahakal temple sanctum by BJP MLA & son
Ujjain: Congress workers staged a protest outside Mahakal temple administrator's office on Wednesday over the alleged forced entry into the sanctum sanctorum by BJP MLA and his son last Monday. Led by city Congress president Mukesh Bhati, party workers demanded an FIR against the son of BJP legislator and called for removal of two officials involved in the investigation. Congress protesters marched in the rain from the city party office to Mahakal temple administration office, carrying placards. They demanded immediate arrest of Rudraksh Shukla, son of BJP legislator from Indore-3 Golu Shukla. The protesting Congress leaders alleged that on the second Monday of Shravan month during Bhasma Aarti, the legislator and his son forcibly entered the sanctum sanctorum, disregarding the rules. They described the incident as a violation of the temple's dignity and 'religious decorum.' Shukla refuted the allegations and told TOI that he did not enter the sanctum. "There were over 6,000 devotees with me. We did not enter the sanctum and offered prayers from the Nandi Hall," he said. The protesting Congress leaders were also up in arms against the Mahakal temple administration and sought resignation of its administrator Pratham Kaushik over the incident. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Bhati said that deputy administrator SN Soni, who is part of the investigation committee, was himself responsible for protocol violations and therefore culpable. "Alongside him is security in-charge Jayant Rathore, who, as ASP, is accused of unauthorised entry into the sanctum sanctorum. How can an impartial investigation be expected from them?" he said. The Congress demanded that the general public be allowed entry into the sanctum sanctorum daily from 12 to 4 pm. Soni refuted Congress charges and said that he was part of the investigation committee following the orders of the temple committee's chairman and the district collector. "I am complying with the orders and will continue to do so," he said. The protesting Congress leaders were also of the view that BJP has 'hijacked' entry to the temple. Party leader Maya Rajesh Trivedi questioned, "Has the Mahakal temple become personal property of BJP leaders? Ordinary devotees can't even reach the temple's threshold, but all doors are open for ministers, legislators, and their families." They insisted that the temple administration clarify whether the rules were same for everyone or if there were special exemptions for BJP leaders. State BJP spokesperson Rajpal Singh Sisodia said that the BJP is a party that values discipline. "Our leaders, workers, and their families are expected to maintain discipline. If anyone breaches discipline, our president takes corrective action," he said.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Bina MLA meets BJP chief amid row over allegiance
Bhopal: Congress MLA from Bina Nirmala Sapre, who has openly supported the BJP since last year, finds herself politically isolated as both parties distance themselves from her, and discontent brews within the ruling party's local workers. On Tuesday, Sapre met new BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal in Bhopal following complaints by BJP urban local body members and party workers in her Bina constituency over her functioning. Earlier this week, several BJP leaders had earlier approached the party headquarters, questioning whether Sapre was acting as their representative or still aligned with the Congress. On May 5 last year, during the last lap of Lok Sabha election campaign in the state, Sapre joined the BJP's public meeting in Rahatgarh in the presence of CM Mohan Yadav. She campaigned for the BJP Lok Sabha candidate Lata Wankhede for the next five months. However, the BJP officially did not give her primary membership though Sapre claimed she shifted her loyalty from the Congress to BJP. Now, BJP local leaders and workers have complained about her way of working to Khandelwal. Following this, Khandelwal summoned her to Bhopal, and they had a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. Party sources claimed that she does not have the support from the BJP's workers in the constituency. And the party officially does not accept her as a member. Speaking to TOI, BJP state spokesman Ajay Singh Yadav said, "Nirmala Sapre left the Congress because she was dissatisfied with that party. It is true she contested the 2023 assembly elections on a Congress ticket, but she must decide her future. A new state party president has taken charge and that is the reason she came to meet him. It was a regular meeting." No matter how much the BJP tries to camouflage the volatile situation in Bina constituency, the truth remains that Sapre is an MLA with no party supporting her. Since she left the Congress, the opposition party has written to the Speaker for her disqualification from the state assembly while the BJP denies having given her primary membership. Technically she is still a Congress MLA with no acceptance from the BJP. Ruling party workers have also taken their grievances against Sapre to the chief minister.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
For 5 years now, MP Assembly remains without a dy speaker
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Assembly has been without a deputy speaker for the past five years as the monsoon session is set to commence on July 28, 2023. Following the November 2018 assembly elections, the Congress party which was in majority refused to part with the deputy speaker's post in January 2019, breaking a 29-year tradition of allocating the post to the opposition. When the BJP regained power in March 2020, the deputy speaker's post has remained vacant since then. Heena Likhiram Kavre was the last deputy speaker of the state assembly when Congress was in power until March 2020. A deputy speaker not only preside over sessions in the Speaker's absence but also heads important House committees, coordinates between the media gallery advisory committee and legislators, and lead the committee for revising MLAs' pay and allowances. According to the MP Assembly's tradition established in the 1990s, the Speaker is appointed by the ruling party while the deputy speaker's post is given to the opposition. However, with 109 MLAs, the BJP sought to demonstrate its strength in the House in 2019 and called for an election for the Speaker's post. While the position was awarded to Congress, the BJP nominated Jagdish Dewra, the current deputy chief minister, for the deputy speaker's role. The then Speaker conducted a voice vote to elect Heena as deputy speaker. Nevertheless, the BJP returned to power in March 2020 after Jyotiraditya Scindia joined the party with his supporter MLAs, leaving the Deputy Speaker position vacant since then. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You To Read in 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Officials in the state secretariat stated that it is likely the longest period that the MP Assembly has been without a deputy speaker. The BJP returned to power for the fifth time in Madhya Pradesh, winning 163 of the 230 seats in the House in the November 2023 assembly elections. The appointment of the deputy speaker depends on the ruling party's discretion to assign it to its own members, give it to the opposition, or leave it vacant. The position has remained vacant for the past 20 months, and the BJP appears inclined to maintain the status quo on the issue in the House.
