Panaji, Apr 18 (IANS): Welcoming the appeal of Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao, to vote for individuals with secular credentials, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said that his party is "truly secular".

Addressing a press conference at the party's office here, Sawant said that the BJP’s contribution to minorities is more than that of the Congress.

“I welcome it. The BJP party is truly secular. Because we have worked with the concept of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. While taking it ahead, we have not differentiated,” Sawant said.

“If you compare our work with that of the Congress party, then you will come to know that we have contributed more than them for Church and ‘exposition’. We have strengthened the minority commission at the Centre and also in Goa. Now it is doing good work,” Sawant added.

The exhibition of the sacred relics of St. Francis Xavier will be held from November 21, 2024, to January 5, 2025, in Old Goa.

“We are really secular and hence I feel that a circular is issued urging people to vote for ‘lotus’ only,” Sawant said.

The Archbishop, on Wednesday, had appealed to the people to refrain from going on pilgrimage on the Lok Sabha voting day and cast their vote for individuals with secular credentials.

In a circular issued by Cardinal Ferrao, he said: "Indeed, the growth of a nation is dependent on its citizens' active participation and responsible behaviour."

“It is known that there is a regular train from Goa to Velankanni every Monday. I earnestly appeal to our Catholics to refrain from taking that train journey on Monday, (May 6, 2024) and, instead, to book their trip for any other Monday."

"In case a booking has already been made, it is certainly worth losing some money by way of cancellation charges for the sake of the greater good and the sacred duty of exercising one's franchise on the election day and thus being positively responsible towards the greater good of the nation," Cardinal Ferrao said.