Fatorda MLA and Goa Forward Party President Vijai Sardesai raised serious concerns in the Goa Legislative Assembly today, alleging that Goa is becoming a hub for international racketeering, illegal conversions, hawala operations, and extremist networks with links to foreign funding.
Sardesai highlighted the recent arrest of a woman named Ayesha by the Uttar Pradesh Police under Mission Asmita, noting that this case is not the result of Goa Police action, but an outside investigation. Drawing connections, he referred to the earlier arrest of a man known as Changur Baba a.k.a. Jamaluddin, who had set up the Bharat Pratikarth Seva Sangh and claimed affiliation with the RSS. According to reports, Jamaluddin raised over ₹106 crore in foreign funding from the Middle East for conversions, with a PMLA case filed against him. He eventually found refuge in Goa.
“Mr. Speaker, how did someone like this set up base in Goa undetected? Is Goa now a haven for transnational criminal rackets?” Sardesai questioned, adding that earlier such individuals had even received state protocol and were hosted by ministers before being exposed as frauds.
He warned that the same could happen again and called for cross-verification of whether the recently arrested woman had any political or ministerial connections, stating, “Tomorrow a photo may surface with a minister, and that will be a shame for the House.”
Sardesai emphasized that the issue is not just about religion or the narrative of Love Jihad, which he dismissed as being imported from the national discourse and irrelevant to Goa’s ground reality.
“If there is forced conversion, show us the data. Where is the report? Don’t confuse Goans with borrowed narratives. This is about crime, not religion,” he stated.
He further said that such unchecked activities threaten Goa’s unique identity, secular ethos, and the spirit behind the Uniform Civil Code. Sardesai accused the government of policing failure, citing lack of oversight into suspicious bank transactions, unregistered entities, and foreign remittances, including the ₹106 crore linked to conversion activities.
“There are ED raids on government officers staying in Goa, involved not in religious conversion but in financial conversion — turning black money to white. Who is monitoring them?”
Sardesai called on the Chief Minister, Dr. Pramod Sawant, to take full responsibility for the lapses and demanded concrete measures to curb the operations of such networks. He also urged better cooperation with national agencies.
Further, the CM assured that from now on, whatever cooperation is needed with the Uttar Pradesh Police, they are ready to support it.
The intervention by Sardesai has sparked wider concern over Goa’s security preparedness and the need for systemic action against transnational and illegal networks operating under the radar.