Panaji, Feb 10: Goa's Town and Country Planning Minister Vijay Sardesai stoked a controversy by calling the domestic tourists, particularly those visiting the state from North India, as "scum of earth".

Sardesai's remarks came during the Goa BizFest in Bambolim, attended by top industrial and tourism sector players of the state.

Sardesai said the domestic tourists total up to nearly six times the native population of Goa. "Those tourists are not top-end tourists, they are also the scum of the earth," he added.

The unruly behaviour of the North Indian tourists is not possible to control, claimed Sardesai, who heads the Goa Forward Party (GFP) - an ally of the ruling BJP.

Instead, he opined, the state should set its target only on the overseas tourists, along with a section of the Indian upper-class. Seeking more private investment, Sardesai said Goa could further establish itself as one of the prime destinations in the world if the infrastructure is upgraded for the world elite.

“It’s an idea I always have had. It all goes back to what Sir Vivian Richards told me at a tourism meet…He said, we can have the best beaches, best architecture, best beauty, but if we don’t have a golf course, it amounts to nothing,” he was reported as saying.

To discourage the low-income and middle class domestic tourists from visiting the state, Sardesai said, "Goa should become so expensive that tourists should say that it is not worth coming to Goa. Which tourists? The Indian tourists."

Sardesai also contradicted Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who had set a target of attracting nearly one crore annual tourists to the state. Sardesai, his cabinet colleague, differs on the subject, saying the quality of tourists matter rather than the quantity.

"Those who come from Delhi, Haryana and Gurgaon, they have a tendency, they want to gobble everything. We in Goa have a certain way of living," he added.

The minister further marked his apprehension against the vast swathes of land being bought by North Indians in the state, claiming that they want to create "another Haryana in Goa".

"We are fighting another kind of battle where these FSI people are coming and affecting our ethos," he added.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 10, 2018 01:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).