Team Herald
PANJIM: The Congress frontal organisations on Friday staged protests in front of the Chief Minister’s official residence at Altinho demanding his resignation for insensitive comments against girls and parents in the Legislative Assembly.
Addressing the protestors, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar said Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant has shocked the nation and shamed Goa by his irresponsible statement justifying rape by blaming rape survivors and parents.
“The statement is nothing but sick mind of Sawant and is reflection of anti-women mentality of RSS,” he charged.
“The Chief Minister is surrounded by rapists in his government whom he had earlier accused publicly, now he and his government have to support those rapists. We strongly condemn this statement which does not fit for the civilised person,” Chodankar said.
Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress President Beena Naik condemned Sawant’s statement for asking parents to introspect why girls are out at night.
She stated that his statement shows the lack of the feeling of belongingness for Goan people.
Further, Naik said that when Constitution provides equal protection to every citizen without any discrimination then why the Chief Minister who is the head of the State discriminates between boys and girls.
“The Mahila Congress members were compelled to protest outside his residence as he has failed on all fronts to provide protection to Goans as to enjoy their democratic rights,” she said.
“Why can’t CM guarantee that women are safe and not abused in public places,” Naik questioned.
Goa Pradesh Youth Congress President Adv Varad Mardolkar said that we want our Golden Goa days back from this cheap mentality and collapsed administration under Sawant and demanded that each and every girl should feel safe at any time in the State.
Protesters gave anti-BJP and anti-CM slogans. Later they were arrested by the Panjim Police under Section 151 CrPC and took them to Dona Paula Police Outpost and were released.
Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat strongly condemned the arrest of protesting Congress functionaries for demanding the Chief Minister’s resignation for insulting women and demanded immediate release of all of them.
