Team Herald
PANJIM: The Congress on Sunday condemned the police action of filing First Information Report (FIR) against Goa Church wing and another NGO claiming is as “mala fide intention to silence the critics against the controversial citizenship amendment act (CAA)”.
Addressing media persons, Congress spokesman Adv Rohit Braz D’Sa said that the charges filed against Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP) and National Human Rights Organisation (NHRO) (Goa Chapter) under Goa Children’s Act and section 83 (2) Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, has no standing in the court of law.
“The politically dictated FIR by Police is not just an attack on freedom of expression but also on the constitution. The Constitution of India does not bar children from attending a peaceful protest where speeches are made by political leaders or protest called on by political parties or others,” D’Sa said.
“The FIR has been filed with a mala fide purpose to stop CSJP from holding any such protest in future. The intention is to silence the critics on CAA,” he said.
The women and Child Protection Unit of Goa Police last week had filed FIR against CSJP and NHRO under Section 8 (1) Goa Children’s Act and section 83 (2) Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 for using children in public meeting to protest against CAA and NRC at Margao on January 24, 2020.
D’Sa said that neither the complainant nor police have been able to identify the children who were present for the protest. “Students, who are future of new India, have equal right to raise their voice and express their opinion in favour or against CAA, which is also concerned with them,” he said.
D’Sa accused BJP-led State government of creating “fear psychosis” amongst the anti-CAA protestors, who have been fighting to save Indian Constitution.
The Congress leader said that the FIR was completely “politically dictated” by BJP leaders to suppress the voice of masses.
Chodankar said that the footage of attacker at Jamia (New Delhi) on Thursday clearly shows how police were escorting the assailant.
