PANJIM: The Goa unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded a judicial inquiry into the lathi charge on agitating fishermen on Thursday in Panjim.
Police had detained and arrested 23 fishermen protesting outside the Fisheries Department on Thursday evening after a lathi charge. The fishermen were demanding a ban on fishing using LED lights by trawlers.
The government had issued a notification banning LED lights, but the unsatisfied fishermen had blocked River Mandovi and spread across the road blocking it.
Reacting to the incident, AAP demanded a magisterial inquiry into the attack. “BJP is forcibly trying to crush the agitation by the fishermen. There should be a judicial inquiry into the incident,” AAP Goa Convener Valmiki Naik said.
AAP said that fishermen from the agitating group had not pelted any stones on the police. “As per our inquiries, there was a stone thrown on the police by an unidentified person, and the fishermen suspect that someone was planted to instigate this so that the police force should use this as an excuse to lathi charge the crowd,” AAP said.
AAP has demanded that the government instruct mechanized boats to return and confiscate the LED lights with the help of the Coast Guard if needed.
AAP has also asked to ensure action under law to punish the repeated illegal use of LED lights for fishing.
AAP national secretary Pankaj Gupta said democracy will never be safe if people fighting for justice are lathi charged.
