Goa: Reginaldo sounds the bugle for a state-wide mass protest against the Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill

Panaji: Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco today urged civil society, NGOs, political parties, interested stakeholders and every Goan to come together and launch a statewide movement to protest against the Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill, 2021 and demand its total withdrawal.

The Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill, 2021, is part of the BJP’s grand plan to change Goa’s demography, he said and demanded that the Bill should be completely scrapped in toto.

“No discussion. No negotiation, the Bill must be completely scrapped,” Reginaldo demanded calling for mass protests in the State against the bill.

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“With an eye on the forthcoming elections, the BJP wants to change the demography of Goa, it has been their plan for the last so many years and it has been proved now with the introduction of this Bill,” said Lourenco.

“For them to win the coming polls, this is their master plan. They have compromised the interests of the state to stay in power.”

The BJP wants to dilute the definition of ‘Niz Goemkars’ by allowing encroachers who have been residing in Goa to be classified as sons of the soil, Lourenco claimed.

“The houses of the real bhumiputras or children of Goa are either closed or in ruins.

The new bhumiputras from other parts of India who have been defined in the Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarni Act are now occupying these houses, many of them by deceit and fraud. This shows the intentions and master plan of the BJP,” said Lourenco.

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Reginaldo also alleged that senior BJP politicians or their representatives have been purchasing land across Goa, which the present government is facilitating. He described North Goa as a “mini-BJP hub” where huge tracts of land was sold to residents of North India.

“Very few Goan owners are left. The rest are outsiders and this is the evil design of the BJP to plant their own in the State and control the business of traditional Goans. There are no sons of the soil or Niz Goemkars who are running hotels, or getting jobs,” said Lourenco.