With BJP national leaders and its front organisations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad calling for a need to impose beef ban in Goa, the Congress party, condemning the move, has charged the ruling despension at the centre of hidden agenda of polarising people on communal grounds.

“It is a well-planned and well thought out strategy of BJP at the centre.The only hidden agenda behind these statements is to polarise the people of Goa on communal grounds. BJP and its frontal organisations like VHP wants to divide united people of Goa,”Goa pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Luizinho Faleiro told media persons.

“BJP also wants to create a situation of artificial beef shortage in the State,”he charged.

The former Chief Minister pointed out that under the Goa Daman and Diu Cow Slaughter Act, there is a prohibition  on slaughtering of cow. “So, the question of cow slaughter does not arise. Also, we have government run Goa Meat Complex for legal slaughtering,”he said.

Faleiro said that the BJP has appointed extra constitutional authority like VHP to spearhead their hidden agenda. “The act of BJP ruled Central government on deciding who will eat what or who will wear what or how many children a couple would have, is very dangerous to our constitutional set up,” he stated.

Speaking on beef ban in Goa, the BJP national leader and MP Subhramanyam Swamy had last reported to have said ‘Goa has a tradition, we have to change that.’

The State BJP unit had claimed that it is Swamy’s personal view and the party has nothing to deal with it and had said that the beef ban is not an issue in Goa.

However, the issue further sparked controversy with latest demand coming from VHP, who said that it  is capable of imposing complete ban on cow slaughtering and beef eating in Goa within next one or two years.

Team TNV