Goa Church takes on Modi, says LS polls no presidential contest

Panaji: The Goa Church on Tuesday took a dig at BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, saying the election campaign is tilted in favour of “one individual to make it look like the Presidential contest”. [caption id=“attachment_1440297” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi. AFP[/caption] The Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP), the social work wing of the Archdiocese of Goa, in its election flier issued on Tuesday, also termed as “myth” the models of good governance being presented to society for “lacking equality”. The CSJP also said the secular spirit has been infiltrated by the corporate communal forces which are visible even in Goa. “Unfortunately, a very large number of citizens are lured by materialism, consumerism and greed for power and wealth resulting in a decline in upholding moral and ethical values which are the intrinsic root of human life,” CSJP Executive Secretary Fr Savio Fernandes said in the release circulated to the media. “It is convincingly apparent that the election campaign, even in these first stages, supported by the media, is geared towards the promotion of one individual as if this is a Presidential election,” he said without naming Modi. Ruing that winability factor is taking precedence in selection of contestants despite the moral high ground as claimed by parties, the Church said there was an urgent need for transforming the political system. “The tendency towards corruption is manifest in the failure of successive governments to establish people-serving institutions or commissions like the Lokayukta, Information and minority commissions,” Fr Fernandes said. The Church also said indigenous people in various parts of the country are being marginalised and deprived in favour of communal-corporate interests. “In the above context, some ‘models of good governance being presented to society are a myth as they are ridden with lack of transparency, accountability and participatory equality as exposed in various reports,” Fr Fernandes said. The Church proposed the need for installation of a “government that serves specially the common people”. PTI