After the furore it raised for over a day, Goa Minister for Public Works Ramkrishna Dhavlikar on Wednesday evening retracted his controversial “ban bikini” remark stating that he was misunderstood and had no intention to hurt any woman, but was only concerned about their safety.
On his other remarks about need for banning pub culture in Goa, Mr. Dhavlikar said he had no problem with men or women drinking, but “it must be under control.”
The Minister said that he did not want to force his cultural beliefs on anyone.
Earlier, Goa-based Hindu Janajagaran Samiti, a rightwing Hindu outfit, backed Mr. Dhavlikar’s statements and appealed to all the supporters of Hindu culture to rally behind the Minister.
