VASCO: A large crowd from Mormugao taluka participated in the pro-Citizens Amendment Act (CAA) in the port town on Sunday evening.
The rally was organised by the Mormugao Supports CAA and the supporters were seen carrying national flags and placards with pro-CAA and shouting slogans "Bharat Mata Ki Jai"; "Vande Mataram" and "Mormugao Supports CAA".
The supporters of CAA took out a rally from the Kadamba bus stand, Vasco upto the meeting venue.
Addressing the meeting, Panchayats Minister Mauvin Godinho said that massive gathering of people to support CAA only shows that the people from Mormugao taluka were aware of the CAA and wanted to send a message to those opposing it for their political gains. He clarified that CAA was not against anybody and it was amended only to give citizenship to the religious minorities who were persecuted and prosecuted in neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Mauvin further claimed that the BJP government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will only bring good and people-oriented bills and schemes and alleged that the opposition parties were misguiding and misleading the people.
Urban Development Minister Milind Naik also claimed that the BJP government had always delivered what it had promised to the people be it abrogating Article 370, Triple talak, Ram Mandir etc and now the CAA. He alleged that the opposition parties were upset at the growing popularity of the Modi government and were now misguiding the people. He said that the pres4ence of huge crowd at the pro-CAA meeting shows that they were understood the CAA and would not fall prey to the opposition gimmicks.
Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida claimed that the CAA had nothing to do with political parties but it wa unfortunate the issue had become a battle between the BJP and the Congress. He appealed to the people not to give political colour to this issue.
Criticising the opposition parties, former Minister Rajendra Arlekar said that various organisation extended their support to the pro-CAA rally and expressed his happiness that they were successful in creating awareness on the CAA in the minds of the people in the Mormugao taluka.
Former MP Adv Narendra Sawaikar and former Fatorda MLA Damodar 'Damu' Naik also spoke. They praised the people of Mormugao taluka for showing their unity and for not being carried away by the false propaganda by the opposition.
Mormugao municipal council chairperson Nandadeep Raut, councilllors, Sancoale sarpanch Girish Pillai and panchayat members from Mormugao taluka were also present. However, Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha was conspicuous by her absence.