Stop claiming benefits under Article 30: Sawaikar to Church

NT NETWORK

Panaji

Commissioner for NRI affairs and former BJP MP Narendra Sawaikar on Monday launched a fresh attack on Archbishop of Goa and Daman Filipe Neri Ferrao over the CAA controversy, asking the religious head not to claim benefits at taxpayers’ money by enjoying the minority status of educational institutions extended under Article 30 of the Constitution.

Sawaikar posted a series of fresh tweets taking on the archbishop.

“If #CAA is discriminatory for Goa #Archbishop, then Article 30 of Constitution of India is more discriminatory. Don’t claim benefits at taxpayers money by claiming minority status!#CAA,” he tweeted

“Archbishop’s statement is based on ifs and buts. Without any logic, reasoning & rationale. In fact #CAA is not divisive but the #statement is.” reads the next tweet.

The archbishop on Saturday had appealed to the government to repeal the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act and desist from implementing the proposed  National Population Register and National Register of Citizens.

He had also said the CAA, the NRC and the NPR are “divisive and discriminatory” and would  certainly have a “negative and damaging effect” on a multicultural democracy like India.

However, Sawaikar said that CAA is a law which can be  repealed or rescinded either by an act of the legislature; or the court can strike  it down.

The CAA has already been challenged in the Supreme  Court, former BJP MP pointed out.

Meanwhile, Power Minister Nilesh Cabral refused to get into the CAA controversy in Goa.

He, however, said that if an individual, an organisation or an institution needs any clarification or has any apprehension about the newly-amended Citizenship Act then he/she  can approach him or give him a phone call.