Team Herald
MARGAO: The news of a Muslim float vandalised at night followed by an accusation of a Muslim youth allegedly shouting anti-national slogans have spread on social media and is being used to fuel communal tensions in the area. The police have not revealed whether these incidents are spontaneous or part of a plan to divide the society on religious ground. However, certain facts surrounding these incidents point to the latter.
The issue started on 29th of October at around 12.44am, with some people loosely linked to the Bajrang dal assaulted a 27-year Muslim youth from the Margao Housing Board near Vidyanagar junction. Even though the incident was captured on camera and a complaint was filed, the police are yet to take any action against the assaulters.
On the 19th of November, a group of five youth cornered a Hindu youth and questioned him why was he hanging out with the group of Muslims, who were building the float for the Id celebrations.
The next evening, a muslim youth in a jeep was going around and tying their religious flags and banners along the streets in Housing board. One resident of Housing board who didn’t want the flag to be installed in front of his property objected to it. This led to an argument. When the youth started his jeep and revered, he hit the rickshaw. A crowd gathered at the scene when some people started making allegations that the youth shouted anti-national slogans. The police arrived on the scene and took the youth and jeep to the police station.
Interestingly, none of the people who claimed to hear the anti-national slogans were ready to file a complaint. Herald spoke to Rumdamol Panchayat member Vinayak Volviokar, who is also a BJP block leader who took a press conference on this issue on Thursday. According to Volvoikar, certain people want to disturb the communal harmony in the village. “Anti-national slogans creates communal tension between hindu and muslim. When someone shouts anti-national slogans like Hindustan Murdabad and Pakistan Zindabad, everyone should be united since Hindustan is of all religions. Everyone should show unity. Even politicians should put the nation first.”, said Volvoikar
Herald asked Volvoilkar whether anyone filed a complaint against the anti-national sloganeering. Volvoikar replied saying that the locals have informed him that someone in the jeep shouted slogans but eye-witnesses don’t want to come forward out of fear. There was no evidence of the incident. So if there was no evidence or eye-witness on record, why did Volvoikar in his public statement try to make it sound like it was a fact that someone had shouted anti-national slogans which might divide the community?
Herald asked him whether he was sure that someone shouted the slogans. His response was “I am not sure if some shouted slogans. I made the statement because I heard it from someone else. I am very proud of my country and my sentiments were hurt. I didn’t even keep quiet in front of the police.”
Volviokar claims that the incident is not political and that Bajrang Dal is not involved. The Curtorim PI claimed that the incidents were all spontaneous. He confirmed that no one has come forward to complain about the alleged anti-national slogans. The PI played down the incident and said that the issue was not political. When asked about the incident on the 29th October he said he was not aware and that a sub-inspector is in charge of the area.
