Porvorim: 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.
