TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Both the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party condemned the lathi charge on agitating taxi drivers Monday with Leader of Opposition Pratapsing Rane demanding an immediate inquiry into the illegal operations of Olacabs in the State.
Rane condemned the violent clash between tourist taxi owners and police at Calangute and Porvorim late Monday night. He promised that the matter would be raised during the Goa Budget session scheduled next month but simultaneously blamed the government for its failure to take action against the private taxi company that have been officially operating since earlier this month.
“The incident was triggered by the government allowing Olacabs which have been illegally operating in the State. The government should find out why and how they managed to open their business in Goa and take appropriate action” Rane said at a press conference held in his office on Tuesday.
The NCP State Executive Committee also condemned the attacks on taxi drivers/owners who were protesting “as their daily bread was threatened and demanded the withdrawal of all cases registered against the taxi drivers/owners and urged the Human Right Commission to take cognizance of the brutal attack on Goan taxi drivers/owners.
Police had resorted to cane charge and fired teargas shells to disperse a mob of taxi operators who were protesting at O’Coqueiro junction at Porvorim.
Earlier, there was violence near St Alex Church Calangute and the taxi operators had allegedly assaulted some tour operators. Ten taxi operators were arrested and several including policemen were injured. The taxi services are off road since Monday.
Rane justifying the agitation by the aggrieved taxi owners, said government should make efforts to avert violent incidents. Citing yet another violent protest by Nigerians in October 2013, he warned that such incidents will affect Tourism on which Goa is largely dependent for revenue generation after the closure of mining. In the same breath, he said the party supports taxi owners’ plight.
“Tourism should not be destroyed by law and order issues. There have been incidents one after the other (referring to Nigerian ruckus)…” he said adding that entry of outsiders who encroach into local businesses is bound to create disturbances. “Don’t we have out own people to run businesses in Goa? Our people are capable. Don’t brings problems into the peaceful state.”
Meanwhile, Congress Secretary Sunil Kawthankar has also “condemned the inhuman attack by police on the protesting Taxi operators.” In a press release issued on Tuesday, the party leader said they had requested the government to find an amicable solution to these problems. Failure to do so resulted in the violence.
He alleged that the police acted in an unbecoming manner and it is the duty of the police officials to defuse the situation instead of wildly attacking and damaging vehicles of protestors. ‘This is something highly deplorable,” he said.
