Goa chief minister welcomes Archbishop’s call, says BJP is secular

Goa Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao has asked people to fulfil their moral obligation of voting for those with “secular credentials” and uphold the values of the Constitution

Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday welcomed Goa Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao’s statement asking people to fulfil their moral obligation of voting for those with “secular credentials” and uphold the values of the constitution, saying the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is secular.

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant. (ANI)

“...the BJP government has spent money for the upkeep of Churches of Old Goa and the Exposition [of the relics of St Francis Xavier]. ...the BJP government revived the minority commissions in Goa and nationally....If any party is secular, it is the BJP,” Sawant said.

In a circular to churches, Ferrao, who is one of six Catholic Cardinals in India, called on all eligible Catholic voters to vote for “persons with secular credentials, who are truly committed to work for the good of all the people and to uphold the values enshrined in our Constitution.”

He said it was his “bounden duty, as the Head of the Church in Goa, to call the attention of our Church members to the fact that, in the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.” Ferrao said the Church’s obligation to participate in nation-building and in shaping the moral character of society is a requirement of faith. “...it is an all-important part of the mission.”