Panaji, Jan 23 (IANS): Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai said on Tuesday that ‘Ram Rajya’ means inclusivity and pluralism, not one-sided governance.

Sardesai said that Ram Rajya should be for welfare of the people and should foster the concept of taking all faiths together to achieve progress.

"Ram Rajya means inclusivity and pluralism, not one-sided governance. I celebrated the Pran Pratishtha of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya with a Deepotsav along with members from the Hindu, Catholic and Muslim communities, all together. I believe this is the true spirit of Ram Rajya in which all sections of society are treated justly, fairly and respectfully,” Sardesai said.

“While we welcome Ayodhya being developed into a centre for spiritual tourism, on lines of Mecca and Medina for Islam and Rome for Christianity, we in Goa must preserve our age-old syncretic culture of tolerance and coexistence and usher in real Ram Rajya in the state,” he said.

“Jay Shree Ram is not the slogan to vote for one party. It is a slogan to imbibe values of Ram and bring Ram Rajya. He is of everyone. He doesn’t belong to any one party. Sadly, one party is chanting slogans and trying to show Ram is only theirs.

"There is no Ram Rajya today, in Goa we know that the concept (of Ram Rajya) has not come into reality. Our role is to see whether our conscience is clean and how we should live together,” Sardesaid said.

Earlier, he had said that 'Ram Rajya' means welfare of the people, not cleaning temples.