JOIN USGoa withdraws controversial Ganesh Chaturthi SOPs; Congress slams CM
The Goa government SOPs banning Hindu priests from visiting homes for offering Ganesh Chaturthi puja as well as urging use of technology and social media for online celebration of the festival, has created controversy.
While Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has hurriedly scrapped the SOPs late on Tuesday, the Congress on Wednesday slammed Sawant, saying he had no control over key decisions taken by his administration, while also alleging that the shocking SOPs were aimed at distrasting the people from crucial issues like inflation during the festive event.
"While withdrawing it, the CM blamed the expert committee which had prepared the SOPs. How come the CM has no knowledge about these sensitive SOPs related to the greatest religious function that is celebrated by the majority community in Goa and respected by people of?" Congress spokesperson Trajano D'Mello told a press conference on Wednesday.
"Is this government being run by the bureaucrats alone? If that is the case Pramod Sawant does not deserve to sit in this chair. Or was it done to distract people who are suffering the brunt of the pandemic, at a time when they have no money to buy essentials to celebrate the festival," D'Mello also said.
Late on Tuesday, the Goa government had officially released the controversial SOPs for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival, which is scheduled to begin on September 10.
“The priest shall be prohibited (from) performing Ganesh Pooja by going to individual households, They may perform online pooja. Also the families should be encouraged to perform self puja using various technological means like YouTube whatsapp videos, etc,” the SOPs stated.
The SOPs also advocated celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi via the online mode while stating that the people of the state were "preferably encouraged to conduct Arati, bhajan, kirtan and other religious programmes through online mode... or any other electronic media and that instead of cultural programmes".
The SOPs were cancelled within hours by the Chief Minister, who expressed his reservation against the ban on priests from visiting homes during the festive event.
“I personally do not agree with some of the guidelines that were issued in the SOP, especially the one stopping priests from going to individual households for puja. Ganesh Chaturthi is the most important festival in Goa and such rituals are an integral part of it," Sawant had said.
"While the expert committee may have suggested such curbs, I have asked the administration to withdraw the SoP immediately. Chaturthi must be celebrated with full fervour while taking all the necessary precautions, given the pandemic,” the Chief Minister had further said.