Panaji:- A delegation of locals from Bhoma village, affected by the expansion of National Highway 4A, met former Minister and Goa Forward Party President Vijai Sardesai to seek support for their demand to realign the highway in order to protect their centuries-old temples.
In a strong statement issued after the meeting, Vijai Sardesai accused the BJP government in Goa of being on a mission to destroy the state’s temple heritage. “After destroying a temple in Porvorim, the government now plans to demolish the historic Sateri and Mahadev temples in Bhoma, which are in the path of the NH4A expansion,” Sardesai said.
Sardesai highlighted that he had personally convinced Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to explore an alternative alignment that would protect the temples, but the state government has failed to act on this. “We are trying to safeguard the 500-year-old cultural and spiritual heritage of these temples, but the government seems determined to hurt people’s sentiments instead,” he added.
Questioning the state government’s priorities, Sardesai said, “They claim to work for the common people, but their actions speak otherwise. The people of Bhoma rightly feel abandoned by a silent opposition that once stood with them.”
“I had kept quiet recently because I had hope in Minister Gadkari’s approach, which was more sensitive and reasonable. But the state government has now chosen a path of confrontation, ignoring both public sentiment and practical alternatives,” he clarified.
According to the villagers, ministers are now dictating how much of the temple should remain untouched. Sardesai raised serious concerns about this interference. “Why are ministers deciding temple boundaries? Is it because they own land near the highway and want to profit from real estate?”
“These temples belong to the Bahujan Samaj. Why is the BJP targeting these places of worship? Do they believe themselves to be above our deities?” he questioned.
Sardesai also drew attention to recent flood-like situations in Goa due to poor planning and infrastructure. “While the BJP is busy organizing Melavas, they should be addressing real issues affecting Goans,” he said.
He appealed to the government to stop politicizing the issue and reconsider the alignment. “The current plan will divide the village and cost more in the long run. A revised alignment would be cheaper, shorter, and in the true interest of the people. I will follow up and ensure this matter is not forgotten,” Sardesai concluded.
