Team Herald
PANJIM: Congress Party on Tuesday staged protest demanding that human rights activist Fr Stan Swamy’s sacrifice for the nation should convert into revolt against Narendra Modi-led ‘dadagiri’ government and there is need to awaken the national conscience.
The party also demanded release of all those activists, who are purposely put in jail.
Condemning the killing of Fr Stan Swamy, GPCC president Girish Chodankar said that since the Modi government has come to power, it has sent around 3974 activists behind the bars to further suppress their voice. They should be released immediately, he demanded.
“There is a need to awaken the national conscience and we Goans to start this revolt and will awaken the people of India,” he said.
Chodankar said that Fr Swamy was a long-time Indian tribal rights activist, who worked and fought to give rights to backward classes and tribals.
“BJP is all out to suppress the voice of the public and harass activists. This party is imposing its dadagiri on the people of the country. “Fr Stan Swamy’s death is ‘institutional murder’. With the death of Fr Swamy, it is proved that undeclared emergency has been imposed in the nation and the government is fully responsible for the death of Swamy.” he said.
Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat said, “Government should not arrest activists, our country achieved freedom through Mahata Gandhi’s satyagraha, non-pviolence and ahimsa through his activism. Freedom of speech is a fundamental right that should be given to all and the government should not strangle it. This is not democracy. Now it is high time that the people of the country should introspect,” Kamat said.
Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress president Beena Naik said that Fr Stan Swamy worked for downtrodden and underprivileged people.
