MARGAO: A Christmas dance in a hall in Nuvem at midnight was stopped by the police as the organisers allegedly failed to get the Collector’s permission.
Around 700 attendees who had arrived after the midnight Christmas Mass were asked to leave. Shockingly, a bus full of policemen had arrived at the venue to stop the dance. Also, the police blocked the old Nuvem Highway with barricades and stones.
The organiser, Dean D’Souza from Margao claimed that he had applied for permission in the Collector’s office and had even obtained NOC from the police. He claimed that the Collector dragged his feet for many days. According him, on Christmas eve, the Collector asked him to inform the police that the permission has been granted and that the copy of the permission will be issued later. According to sources, Additional Collector Agnelo Fernandes was under pressure from a minister not to issue the certificate. Sources claimed that a close aide of the minister had also organised a dance. Sources in the Collectorate informed that they had granted permission for the said dance only till 12 am but the police allowed the same to continue all night. This infuriated the guests who vented out their disappointment on social media.
Joyce Furtado said, “Shocking! Just heard mass and proceeded to Woodbourne for Christmas Dance and were told that the dance is cancelled by a minister who is organising another dance. A big battalion of the police force is posted at the venue. How can he do it?”
Gerald Almeida said, “We all had come to Woodbourne and saw cars and bikes going back home. After talking to the band and organisers got to know that (minister) stopped the party because he expected everyone to attend his party. Absolutely disgusting.”
