Former RSS functionary and Goa Suraksha Manch candidate for the Panaji Assembly bypoll, Subhash Velingkar, Friday said he would shift casinos operating on Mandovi river to the Arabian Sea if elected.

Velingkar released his manifesto for the Panaji bypoll scheduled for May 19.

Velingkar, a former Goa RSS chief, said as per law casinos have to be in the deep sea.

"The casino industry has not only disturbed society and culture of the state but is also polluting the Mandovi river by discharging waste water into it. We will shift these casinos from Mandovi river and send them into the deep sea," Velingkar said.

He alleged the casino lobby was allied with certain political parties and therefore no action was being taken against them.

There are six off shore casinos operating on Mandovi, and the BJP-led state government had recently granted them a six-month extension to operate till September 30, 2019.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)