PANAJI: Taking on Goa and Daman Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao for urging the government to revoke the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary and former MP Adv Narendra Sawaikar on Monday demanded that the Church should not avail benefits under Article 30 (rights of minorities) of Constitution if CAA was discriminatory.
Claiming that the opposition by the Goa Church was unfounded, Adv Sawaikar said that if CAA was discriminatory then Article 30 of Constitution was more discriminatory and that such people should not claim benefits at the cost of tax payers money under the Article 30 In a tweet, Adv Sawaikar said, "If #CAA is discriminatory than Article 30 of Constitution of India is more discriminatory. Don't claim benefits at taxpayers money by claiming minority status! #CAA."
Article 30 of the Constitution gives minorities the right to establish educational institutions and protect them government discrimination. In another tweet, Adv Sawaikar asked, "Why should Archbishop oppose #CAA? When: 1. SC is hearing and will decide a challenge to the law 2. 14 year Catholic girl is fighting for justice in Pakistan 3. Crores of people are supporting CAA. Unfounded opposition."
According to former South Goa MP, Archbishop's statement was based on ifs and buts and without any logic, reasoning and rationale. In fact CAA was not divisive but the statement (by Archbishop) was, he said demanding that the Archbishop should also demand that Article 30 of the Constitution be scrapped.
The Archbishop on Saturday had asked the Government of India to revoke CAA and drop any plans of carrying out the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercises. The very fact that CAA uses religion, it goes against secular fabric of country, he had said.