CALANGUTE: A massive mob of ‘ShivPremis’ on Tuesday surrounded the Calangute Panchayat Ghar following the panchayat’s resolution to remove the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and forced sarpanch Joseph Sequeira to apologise for the village body’s resolution.
The same Sarpanch had categorically stated that the refection of the Shivaji’s statue in Calangute was in violation of a Supreme Court ruling and that no permission was given for the statue’s installation.
A massive mob of hundreds of ‘ShivPremis’ surrounded the Calangute Panchayat Ghar from around 11.30 am till about 5 pm demanding that the panchayat take back a resolution to remove the statue of Shivaji Maharaj on Chogm Road near the Calangute Police Station and to apologise to the people for taking a decision to demolish the statue.
Senior police officials including SP North Nidhin Valsan, DySP Jivba Dalvi and others were at the spot trying to bring the situation under control.
However, the crowd was in no mood to relent. The atmosphere also turned communal at times, and there was minor damage to some religious symbols in the panchayat courtyard.
According to the ShivPremis, vide the Shivswarajya Calangute Trust, had submitted an application to the Calangute Panchayat on May 8 for permission to install the statue. However, there was no response from the panchayat, following which they decided to go ahead and install the statue.
Following the ‘illegal’ installation of the statue of Shivaji Maharaj overnight on June 3, on Shiv Jayanti, the Calangute Panchayat on June 8 took a resolution to ask the Shivswarajya Calangute Trust, the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) to remove the statue within 10 days.
After the panchayat decision to demolish the statue of Shivaji Maharaj was widely publicised on Monday, ‘ShivPremis’ on Tuesday gathered to protest the panchayat decision leading to the stormy scenes leading to the resolution being kept in abeyance and Sequeira being forced to apologise.
“I apologise if I have hurt any religious sentiments by issuing the notice of removing the statue,” sarpanch Sequeira said.
Before the apology, there were riotous scenes around the Calangute Panchayat Ghar, with slogans praising Shivaji being chanted by hundreds of ‘ShivPremis’ who were kept from rampaging by hundreds of police.
BLOW by BLOW ACCOUNT of riotous scenes
11 am: 100-150 ‘ShivPremis’ gathered at the Shantadurga Devasthan at Calangute.
Later they marched to the Calangute Panchayat Ghar shouting slogans and waving saffron flags with images of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
The crowd swelled and as the situation almost went out of control with the enraged ‘ShivPremis’ baying for sarpanch Joseph Sequeira, Calangute Police had a tough time keeping the agitated mob at bay.
12 noon: Police had brought down the shutters of the Calangute Panchayat Ghar, locking sarpanch Sequeira, panchayat members, staff and others inside to prevent the mob from assaulting the sarpanch and causing damage.
There were stray incidents of stone-pelting which damaged the glass exterior of the panchayat ghar and windows of the panchayat hall on the second floor.
1 pm: the North Goa Collector Ashwin B issued a statement that the Calangute panchayat has decided to keep the resolution to remove a statue of Shivaji Maharaj which had been illegally erected on June 3 in Calangute in abeyance.
But the enraged mob wanted the sarpanch to come out and apologise. Fearing violence, the police kept the panchayat office closed and only allowed Sequeira to emerge outside to apologise after extracting a promise from the crowd that he would not be harmed.
Sequeira briefly emerged at around 5 pm and apologised, surrounded by SP Nidhin Valsan and more than a dozen police, with much more police in riot gear throwing a protective cordon.
5.30 pm: The mob later dispersed by around, with hundreds of police stationed all around the panchayat ghar till late evening.
