"Russians and Israelis have occupied certain villages in a manner which cannot be called ideal tourism, and they indulge in business activities in violation of the laws of the land, including Foreign Exchange Management Act," said Naik in a written statement which was issued quoting the parliamentarian's speech at a National Students Union of India (NSUI) convention here Tuesday.
"Goa's precious lands needs to be protected and we cannot allow any Goan village to be called 'Israel Village' or 'Russian Village'," Naik said.
Naik's reference was to the beach villages of Morjim, Ashwem and Arambol in North Goa, which are popular with Israeli and Russian tourists, who flock to these beaches in thousands annually, making the area a throbbing hub for foreigners.
While over 40,000 Russian tourists come to Goa's beaches in the tourist season from October to March, the beach tourism destination also saw some 4,000 Israelis hitting the surf here annually.
