Catholic Association of Goa appeals people to attend meeting against CAA, NPR, NRC

The Catholic Association of Goa on Thursday urged people to attend meeting against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC), and National Population Register (NPR) scheduled to be held on February 21 in Panaji.

This came amid criticism of Goa Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao by the BJP for taking a public position against CAA.

"We join in solitary with the Archbishop of Goa and the CBCI and the countless other Indian Citizens of all hues in appealing to the authorities to listen to the voice of millions in India, to stop quashing the right to dissent expressed through legitimate and peaceful means and to come forward with sincere and effective means to erase the sense of fear, anxiety and uncertainty spreading in the nation, especially among the religious minorities and rescind the above regressive measures," the Catholic Association of Goa said in a statement issued on Thursday.

On February 9, Filipe Neri Ferrao, on behalf of the Catholic community in the state, had released a strongly-worded statement appealing Centre to "immediately and unconditionally revoke the CAA and desist from implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register".

Following this, state Transport Minister, Mauvin Godinho and state BJP General Secretary had slammed him and said that it is wrong for a religious body to issue a statement that creates a communal divide.