Rane withdraws controversial VCD

| 09 February 2005 00:02 IST

The Congress-led ruling alliance has withdrawn the alleged ‘communal’ VCD film on Goan liberation struggle that was objected to by the Church as well as freedom fighters.

The BJP-led Manohar Parrikar was accused of producing a VCD, which could create communal tension, under the guise of Goan freedom struggle.

Producer Ramesh Deo, a veteran Marathi actor, was blamed for distorting Goan history at the behest of the BJP government and projecting Christians as anti-nationals in the VCD.

The RSS and even few freedom fighters had justified the VCD, claiming that it has shown the anti-national role played by the Church during the Portuguese rule.

The controversy had sparked as the Parrikar government had made it compulsory for all the schools to view the VCD.

The Church, running hundreds of schools in the state, had objected to the education department circular, claiming that the VCD had communal overtones that could spread wrong message.

The Congress had then taken up a statewide campaign, demanding immediate withdrawal of the VCD.

The month-long controversy had finally compelled Parrikar government to temporarily stop the viewing of the VCD, though he had not completely withdrawn it.

Pratapsing Rane, the newly inducted chief minister, has however now declared that the VCD would be actually withdrawn from all the schools.

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