TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: Ten days after mining-dependent people disrupted their meeting at CD Blue Chip hall and heckled activists, the Goa RTI Forum on Tuesday urged the Margao police to register an FIR, conduct investigations and bring the culprits to book at the earliest.
Lodging a written complaint on the March 2 incident, wherein a meeting for “invitees only” was called by the Goa RTI Forum to discuss various aspects of the Shah Commission report on mining, Forum Secretary Srikant Barve said the mob had gathered in large numbers with an intention to cause injury/trouble/violence, assault on RTI Forum members. “The mob was instigated by mining mafia which is in collision with the authorities and politicians who have so far not acted against the said mob and instigators. This amounted to human right violation as a terror was created and there was peril and danger to life and liberty which are the basis of human rights,” he said.
When contacted, Margao police station in-charge, PI Sudesh Naik said he has not come across the complaint since he was busy in Panjim on Tuesday. “No sooner, I get the complaint, a decision will be taken on the same,” PI Naik said.
In his complaint, Bharve said there was a vicious attack on the freedom of expression by some individuals, who claimed to be pro-mining activists, at their meeting. “A group of uninvited people forcibly and unauthorisedly gathered in the hall thus committing crime of criminal trespass. The said people who were not invitees were politely requested to leave, but they refused to cooperate and started threatening,” he said.
He pointed out that since the police were not offering protection to hold the meeting, the RTI Forum called off the meeting against its wishes. “There was a serious lapse of duty on part of the authorities. They ought to have allowed the meeting by controlling the illegal mob,” he said, adding that some of the RTI Forum members were attacked and threatened with dire consequences.
“Hundreds of people who had gathered in the illegal assembly on the street with an intention of causing violence and obstructing a meeting were mobilised by vested interest who did not want the truth about mining to come out. It is common knowledge that the mining mafia in Goa is trying to suppress knowledge about mining illegalities and for said purpose the mining lobby is doing its criminal best to ensure that people should not know about Shah Commission report,” he said.
Saying there was a direct attack on freedom of expression and a violation of fundamental right of a citizen guaranteed by the Constitution of India, Bharve said the agitation appeared to be led by the relative of ruling party MLA Subhash Phaldessai going by the photographs on various Goa Forums and on the internet networking site, Facebook and reports on the local newspapers.
He also demanded a detailed inquiry into the fact that bus loads of pro-mining mob were brought for the purpose of disturbing the meeting.
“The police must investigate how many such buses came, who owns them, who hired them and who paid them”, he said.
