'What if Kasab had landed in Goa?'

Imagine what would have happened if Ajmal Kasab, the ruthless foot-soldier of the 26/11 terror strikes, had chosen Goa instead of Mumbai as his terror target, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said Thursday.

Parrikar was asking the Goa opposition members in the assembly to be calm instead of taking a belligerent stand on the Indian Navy's stand over taking control of islands near the Goa coast for security reasons.

Parrikar's comments came even as opposition legislator Mauvin Godinho accused the Indian Navy of threatening local residents from visiting three islands off Goa's coast.

"Imagine if Kasab came to Goa instead of Mumbai. Had he stayed on the island and then proceeded with his plans, what would have happened. We will have to think of that scenario," Parrikar said, advising the opposition to be calm instead of taking a belligerent stand on the Indian Navy.

"We have to see their perspective on this too. But I am sure we will find a way out," the chief minister said.

Kasab and nine other Pakistani terrorists had landed on a beach near Mumbai and sneaked into the megapolis in 2008 and unleashed three days of mayhem by indiscriminately killing people.

Parrikar, however, also said that the state government would initiate dialogue with the naval authorities and ensure that locals have passage to the three islands.

The three islands are often used by locals for overnight trips and fishing excursions and are located off Vasco, a port town 35 km from here.