PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said that the Sunburn organisers have sought permission from the government to conduct the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival at a certain site.
Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a programme, he said, “Sunburn is a private festival. I do not know why the Opposition is blaming the government for the private festival. This time they have announced to hold it in South Goa and have sought permission for the venue where they want to hold. The government will think over the request. They have applied for the permission.”
Recently, the Sunburn organisers had announced on social media that they will hold the festival this year in South Goa. They have also started registration for pre-sale tickets online on BookMyShow portal.
Goa Congress president Amit Patkar posted on ‘X’: “We demand the @goacm @DrPramodPSawant must immediately file FIR against the organiser @SunburnFestival for blatantly misusing and taking @GovtofGoa for granted.”
He also stated that the “people of South Goa have been taken for a ride by issuing advertisements for pre-sale ticket registration. @INCGoa’s opposition to holding this festival anywhere in Goa continues”.
“I condemn @DrPramodPSawant justifying @SunburnFestival which like a slow poison has gradually degraded our cultural and traditional values over the years, endangering future generations by pushing it towards Drugs & Narcotics Culture. Is ‘Sanskari’ @bjp4goa too supporting this?” Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Vice President Sunil Kawthankar posted on ‘X’.
“Samko Babdo @SunburnFestival organisers jitko babdo amcho CM @DrPramodPSawant. Same organiser said he’s bidding farewell to Goa few months back. Appears golden handshake for them is full of butter. What about Goans who lose business to them? Are they not Babde? @RohanKhaunte are you also part of the team extending red carpet welcome? @BJP4Goa enemy of common Goan,” Goa AAP Convenor Amit Palekar posted in ‘X’.
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said, “If you check the website of Sunburn, it says venue is to be decided. I think there is a concept of red herring. The government is also trying to do the same. Harindra Singh of Percept had announced last year that he will not hold the event again in Goa. May be he will do away with it altogether. Now suddenly Sunburn comes again and says that we are going to do it in South Goa without taking people of South Goa in confidence. May be they want to go back to North Goa and hold it near Mopa Airport. I may not be able to give proper opinion whether it is going to be held in South Goa or North Goa because neither the government nor Percept has announced South Goa as venue. We will make a reference and ask for the response of the government on whether it is true or just a rumour.”
Oppn asks: Will CM dare register FIR against organisers?
MARGAO: In view of the fact that the advertisement appeal for pre-sale tickets has been posted on the official verified ‘X’ handle of the Sunburn Festival, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Yuri Alemao questioned whether Chief Minister Pramod Sawant would dare to register an FIR against the organisers for issuing advertisements without the State government’s approval or if he is complicit in what Alemao termed as ‘match-fixing’.
He said, “After converting North Goa into a hub of drugs and crime, the BJP govt, under CM and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte, is now turning its evil eye on South Goa.” “Allowing the Sunburn Festival in South Goa in 2024 is another attempt to seek revenge for their Lok Sabha defeat,” stated Alemao.
“It is evident that the BJP government is indebted to the Sunburn organisers. This explains why the government has not taken any action regarding the advertisement issued by the Sunburn Festival to host the event in South Goa,” he alleged.
Alemao accused the BJP of destroying Goan culture and heritage by promoting activities like Sunburn. “It is well known that deaths have occurred at the festival in the past, but the government has consistently covered up these incidents,” he said.
“Sunburn should not be granted permission to host the event anywhere in Goa. We will not allow it in South Goa and will oppose it in North Goa as well. This festival has caused enough damage, and the time has come to put a permanent stop to it,” Alemao added.
Sunburn is a drugs festival, not Goan culture: Capt Viriato
VASCO: Stating that Sunburn EDM festival is a drugs festival and not Goan culture, South Goa MP Capt Viriato Fernandes appealed to all the political parties to unite in the fight against such events.
Speaking to reporters during a felicitation at Chicalim on Sunday, Capt Fernandes said that people from South Goa will have to wear boxing gloves now and that they will not allow South Goa to get spoiled. He said that “the people of North Goa gave a good fight to the Sunburn event last year, and now we all will give support to save the tiny State for the future generations”.
Reiterating that Sunburn is a drug festival, Capt Fernandes said that people dance for three to four days under the influence of drugs in the festival and it was not Goan culture.
The Congress MP appealed to all political parties and especially BJP workers to support the people in the fight against Sunburn, which had finished North Goa and “now they want to spoil South Goa”. “We will have to get together to stop this Sunburn festival,” he said.
Capt Fernandes charged that some police officers were hand-in-glove with the drug mafia.
“The drug menace happening in Punjab will happen in Goa and I am saying this because I know of a family who personally contacted to inform me about their hardship after their only son was addicted to drugs. The family said that after they informed the police, the drug peddlers reached their house before the police and demanded to know why and how the police were informed about the issue. This shows that some police are also hand-in-glove with the drug peddlers and this is not a good sign for Goa,” cautioned Capt Fernandes.
