Goa MLA takes offence over railway official's 'Goans Portuguese' remark

BJP MLA Alina Saldanha has taken offence and said she will take up the matter in the Goa Legislative Assembly after a railway official referred to Goans as "Portuguese" while addressing a delegation led by her on Sunday in South Goa.

South Western Railway Manager Ajay Kumar Singh had yesterday while addressing a delegation opposing double tracking of the railway line, had termed Goans as "Portuguese".

"India has houses that are 5,000 years old. Goans were the invading force in India who came about 500 years back. When you all came, you also must have destroyed so many houses when you came here. I meant Portuguese," Singh was heard as saying in a video.

Singh, later, withdrew his remark.

Talking to reporters on Sunday, Saldanha said "we are not Portuguese, we are Indians. There's no doubt that we were under Portuguese rule for several years and we were liberated."

"I will raise the issue in the Goa Legislative Assembly and also will bring it to the notice of Union Minister for Railways," Saldanha, who is an MLA from Cortalim constituency, had said.

BJP Goa general secretary Narendra Sawaikar has demanded an unconditional apology from the official.

"Demand immediate unconditional apology from GM of @SWRRLY Shri AjayKumar for referring MLA Smt Alina Saldanha and people of Cortalim as Portuguese. We are Indians firstly and lastly," Sawaikar had tweeted.