Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said there is a need for an anti-conversion law in Goa to deal with “forced” religious conversions.
Responding to a calling attention motion on the first day of the Goa Legislative Assembly’s Monsoon Session, Sawant said, “Forced conversions are not allowed under the anti-conversion law in Uttar Pradesh. Several states have passed such laws. I feel we too need a law so that forced conversions do not take place. There was denial about ‘love jihad’. We have noticed cases of ‘love-jihad’ in the state. If you want, I can give you details later.”
Pointing to the recent arrest of one S B Krishna, alias Ayesha, from Goa by Uttar Pradesh Police in an alleged illegal conversion racket, BJP MLA Premendra Shet and AAP MLA Cruz Silva had moved a calling attention motion, claiming an “international network” had been operating in Goa “funded by international operators”. They questioned the steps taken by the government to neutralise the “transnational network”.
Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday claimed to have busted a network allegedly indulging in illegal religious conversions with the arrest of 10 people from six states in connection with its probe into the abduction of two sisters from Agra in March this year. Police said the accused would allegedly lure young women, particularly minors, across states through deceitful means for religious conversion and were receiving funds from Canada and other countries to run their operations. As per UP police, preliminary investigations suggest the group’s link with organisations like PFI, SDPI and some extremist groups in Pakistan.
Calling on the Congress to support the government, Sawant said, “Recently, some targeted cases are occurring. You may say they are adults…they are in love, but when there are (specific) cases of targeting, then we will have to pay attention.”
Vijai Sardesai, Goa Forward Party (GFP) president, intervened, stating that the “narrative” of “love jihad” had been imported from the national discourse and was irrelevant to Goa’s ground reality. “If there are forced conversions, show us the data. Where is the report? Do not confuse Goans with borrowed narratives. This is about crime, not religion,” Sardesai said.
Independent MLA Aleixo Lourenco, also interjected, asking the Chief Minister to clarify. “There are no conversions happening in Goa, especially from the Catholic side,” he said.
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Sawant responded by saying, “Goa’s harmony has never been disturbed and it should never be. I made it clear that this is against those who are attempting to do forced conversions. Inter-religious marriages are happening in Goa. That is their willingness…their wish. But forced conversions…by giving money…should not happen.”
AAP MLA Cruz Silva demanded a thorough investigation into the case, urging the law enforcement agencies to investigate how many such accused are residing in the state. “Goa is an international tourist destination. Tourists from across the country and abroad visit Goa. Recently, a grand Exposition of Saint Francis Xavier was held in Old Goa, attended by lakhs of people. However, during the same period, (this accused)…was also staying in Old Goa and was allegedly linked to ISIS. Now that the Uttar Pradesh police have arrested her, everything has come to light. But how is it that the Goa Police and the Crime Branch had no information about her?” Silva asked.
