Panaji: The All India Hindu Convention on Thursday accused the BJP government of insulting the Constitution by banning the entry of Sri Ram Sene founder Pramod Muthalik to Goa.
“The Constitution guarantees everyone the right to freedom of movement. The State’s decision to ban Mr. Muthalik’s entry is an insult to the Constitution,” Chetan Rajhauns, national spokes- person of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, one of the organisers of the convention, said.
The convention’s statement comes even before the controversy sparked by Goa and Daman Archbishop’s pastoral letter claiming the Constitution is in danger, has died down. Mr. Rajhauns hit out at Goa Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao, saying he instead should have commented on the perils of international tourism in the state.
He said, “The Archbishop has asked the Christian community to take active part in the politics by claiming that the Constitution is in danger, while the truth is the Archbishop will never speak up against the Nigerian, Russian and European tourists, whose activities are the real danger to Goan people and culture.”
Mr. Muthalik, who used to be one of the speakers at the Hindu Convention till he was barred in Goa, has challenged the ban in the Supreme Court.