PANJIM: In response to the nationwide call given by All India Congress Committee (AICC), the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) on Monday held a fast at Azad Maidan in Panjim.
AICC had given a call for the fast to protest atrocities on Dalits in the country and also to highlight the need for protection and promotion of communal harmony.
Addressing media persons, Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar said, “When the Dalit community protested, the police when ahead with a lathi charge and killed nine people. The Modi government has now shown that their words and actions are completely different.”
Kavlekar alleged that the BJP government was suppressing the minorities. “The BJP government wanted to suppress the minorities, but when they wanted to fight for their rights, government machinery was used to suppress them again,” he said.
GPCC president Shantaram Naik said, “The Supreme Court passed an order preventing atrocities against Dalits, however, when people came out to protest, the Modi government killed nine people. Now five Schedule Caste MPs from the Modi government have gone against him and have threatened to start an agitation.”
Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro pointed out that the nation was going through a financial crisis, and the GDP had never dropped so low. “There is a lot of unemployment and our farmers are committing suicide. Even the media fraternity is being threatened by the BJP government,” he stated.
