Team Herald
PANJIM: Condemning the desecration of religious structures, Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo on Monday said the acts are ‘planned’ involving ‘outer elements’ hoping to disturb the communal harmony in the State.
Addressing media persons, Lobo castigated the police over the failure to solve the cases and demanded that the investigation be handed over to the CBI.
“I am here to condemn the continuous attack on religious places. People of all religions live in Goa with peace and harmony. There are some outer elements, like some individuals or groups or organizations, that have entered our peace loving State and are trying to disturb the communal harmony,” the BJP Calangute MLA said.
Lobo said there does not appear to be any inside element involved. “There are strong attempts to divide us. Someone, somewhere is trying to create something wrong in the State and people have already started getting disturbed,” he said.
Lobo said he would meet Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar after the latter returns from US demanding that if the police are not able to solve the case, the matter should be handed over to CBI. “Goa Police have failed completely to crack down the case. They are completely clueless. I feel, police are not working in right direction,” he added.
Referring to the transfers of police officers, Lobo said this won’t work unless the officers act in the right direction. He demanded that police provide 24×7 surveillance at all religious places and that police announce rewards to those who give leads of the incidents.
