Goa also victim of propaganda, external forces creating unrest: CM Sawant

No propaganda shall derail our sincere efforts towards building a progressive state, said the CM

A day after a politician from the Opposition wrote to global environment and heritage bodies to lobby against three road, rail and power projects in protected forest areas along the Goa-Karnataka border, CM Pramod Sawant has now claimed that external forces were trying to stall development projects in the state.

"Goa has been a victim of propaganda for the past several months, which has been significantly fueled by external forces. Some of the Opposition parties in Goa have also been motivating such external forces to create an unrest in the state," Sawant said in a tweet on Thursday.

"No propaganda shall derail our sincere efforts towards building a progressive state," the Chief Minister also tweeted.

The debate over “external forces” interfering in India’s sovereignty was triggered by recent tweets from global entertainment icon Rihanna and environment and climate change activist Greta Thunberg backing farmer protests at the borders on the national capital.

Inspired by the tweet from Rihanna, former Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai had said that the the opposition to the three projects needed to be escalated to a global level.

The three projects related to road and rail expansion and drawing of a power transmission line are located in the Western Ghats region — a UNESCO-endorsed world heritage site — along the Goa-Karnataka border.

Opponents of the three projects have alleged that more than 50,000 trees in the protected forest areas are expected to be cut to make way for them.