TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Though Manohar Parrikar tried to downplay the significance of his decision to ban the entry of Pramod Muthalik, during a chat with Herald, by saying “it’s nothing much, a routine decision”, he had obviously weighed in all factors, including the positive impact this will have in minority dominated Salcete.
“I was asked why I did not ban Ram Sene. But I could not take a pre-meditated decision, based on media reports. I had to make an independent assessment and therefore asked the police chiefs of both the districts for an intelligence report, on the expected fallout of his entry (to Goa) and the fallout. The reports indicated that there was indeed a threat to peace and law and order,” he said.
We had to be sure that the Ram Sene had plans to enter and do activities which could have disturbed peace and I can’t let that happen. “I went purely by the assessment of our officers,” he said.
Insiders in the government however disclosed that the biggest factor that prompted a pro-active rather than a reactive action was the anger and unrest in Salcete over the threats received by tiatrist, Tousif de Navelim, allegedly by forces close to the Sri Ram Sene, supposedly because the play portrayed Muthalik as a terrorist. “If the Sene enters and establishes a base in Goa and attacks pubs and does its moral policing, the image of the State will get a severe denting. It will be difficult for the Chief Minister to defend himself then,” said a senior member of the BJP.
Currently, the ban is for 60 days by law. That gives him some time. The challenge will be post that, because with an open front against a man like Muthalik, peace can only be notional.
