Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (Independent Charge) Shripad Naik on Saturday said that pub culture will not be promoted, and that the government would support all those things, which fit into the Indian culture.

“The pub culture is not our culture and such unwanted things would not be allowed to thrive here,” Mr. Naik said in reply to a question from presspersons on the sidelines of a tourism-related function at Dona Paula near here on Saturday evening.

The Minister’s remarks were in reply to a query to comment on a recent controversy after a state Cabinet Minister from BJP-led government, Ramkrishna Dhavlikar of MGP, demanded a ban on wearing bikinis on beaches and also against pub culture which, he had said, were against Indian culture.

Mr. Naik confessed that he really did not know in what context Mr. Dhavlikar had spoken but went on to say, “pub (activities) must be controlled as it leads to unwanted things,” and added, “Such things need to be kept within limits.”

Replying to a questions on the increasing trend of introducing flesh trade in massage and spa parlours around coastal tourist State, Mr. Naik said that the provisions of law allowing massage and spa parlours in Goa have been grossly misused.

“The related norms and rules are being flouted, and there is a need to take stern action against such parlours,” he stated. He said that the regulations of such parlours, however, was in the State domain.

Replying to a question about moving out offshore casinos from river Mandovi, the Minister said that it is a matter coming under the State government, and it has already formulated a related policy to relocate them.

“We can’t rush into any decision about the off-shore casinos and have to handle the matter gradually,” he argued.

Mr. Naik was former president of State BJP.