Panaji, Apr 15 (IANS): Religious conversions are increasing in Goa and marginalised people are being targetted, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday, adding that his government would never allow religious conversion to take place.

"I'm not telling lies but in various parts of Goa today, people are stepping up conversions. And various people are trying to take advantage of trying circumstances... someone is poor, someone is in a minority, someone is backward, doesn't have food, doesn't have a job...," Sawant said at a function in Kudnem village in North Goa district.

"I'm saying that such religious conversions should not take place... the government will never allow conversions to take place, but I believe the people need to awaken, the temple in each village needs to awaken, small temple communities need to awaken," Sawant also said.

"Sixty years back... people believed that if God is saved then the religion is saved and if religion is saved then the country is saved, with this in mind people used to flee along with their Gods here in Goa," he also said, referring to the religious persecution during the colonial era.

"But sixty years back, many families, families of those who were displaced began trying to locate their kul devasthans (family deities) and restarted the devotion -- the gods and culture that was destroyed during the Portuguese rule, those families have tried to restore it," he said.

"At many places we have seen the temples, but the people visit the temples only once a year, but not beyond that, but we need to remind the future generations of the rites and rituals of these temples," he further said.