Panaji, May 29 (IANS) Goa Governor Bharat Vir Wanchoo severely criticised the Goa government Thursday over rising crimes against women in the state.

The criticism comes a few days after the state BJP demanded his resignation following the disclosure of the Central Bureau of Investigation’s intention to quiz Wanchoo in connection with the AgustaWestland chopper scam.

In his Goa Statehood Day address, Wanchoo expressed “serious concern about the rising number of crimes in the state. We should arrest this undesirable trend at all cost and make Goa at least a less crime state, if not a crime-less or a crime-free state”.

However, Wanchoo said otherwise the state had “maintained a satisfactory law and order situation, which enabled the smooth conduct of some major events like the International Film Festival, Lusofonia Games, Feast of the Old Goa Church of St. Francis Xavier, Christmas and New Year celebrations, parliamentary elections and large inflow of tourists”.

Last week, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party demanded that Wanchoo resign after the CBI, which is probing the AgustaWestland scam, told the Supreme Court about its intention to question him and his West Bengal counterpart M.K. Narayanan.