SUNDAY, MAY 05, 2024
Team Herald
BICHOLIM: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday blocked the Sadbuddhi (Good Sense) Yatra organised by the Congress at Sanquelim as the opposition party accused Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant of using police force against its workers while protesting peacefully.
The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) had organised Sadbuddhi yatra and had planned to give flowers to the Chief Minister at his residence and pray for his mental health and enlighten him of his responsibilities.
However, nearly 2500 BJP workers decided to counter the protest march and gathered on the road leading to the Chief Minister’s residence.
Despite this, the Congress workers half of the BJP’s strength tried to proceed towards the Chief Minister’s residence but were stopped by a strong police force, who parked their vehicles across the road.
But when the police vehicles were removed for some time to give way to an ambulance some Mahila Congress workers tried to break the police cordon and ran towards the Chief Minister’s residence. The police stopped them and in the scuffle a Mahila Congress worker’s clothes were torn.
The BJP workers shouted slogans in support of the Chief Minister and called the Congress a corrupt party. They also burnt the effigy of Congress president Girish Chodankar and Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat, who skipped the protest march much to the dismay of the protestors.
Following the intervention of the Bicholim Deputy Collector and the police, the Congress workers called off their yatra. They demanded an unconditional apology from the Chief Minister over the tearing clothes of a Mahila Congress worker by the police.
The Congress workers too shouted slogans and accused the ruling BJP of using police force to crush their protest. They also accused the Chief Minister for his statement in the Goa Legislative Assembly over Benaulim rape case.
“We are not blaming the police because they are acting to the tunes of the Chief Minister. Today they have torn the clothes of a woman and the Chief Minister should give unconditional apology for this incident,” they demanded.
On the other hand, Sanquelim BJP Mandal president Gopal Surlakar supported the Chief Minister and said Dr Sawant had already clarified that his statement was taken out of context. He said the parents should have a responsibility towards their children.
“Just after reading the Congress message, the BJP workers from all over the State came here to support the Chief Minister. The Congress is afraid of Dr Sawant’s popularity and his tireless work for the welfare of the State. People are with the government and this incident has shown the same,” Surlakar said.
Sanquelim BJP Yuva Morcha president Ganesh Ghadi expressed shock over the stand taken by the Congress and denounced the act. “The Chief Minister has made a right statement and it is Congress which needs Sadbuddhi and not BJP,” he said.
A heavy police force avoided confrontation between the two party workers and managed to prevent the situation from escalating.
