PANJIM: Panjim Police on Wednesday evening lathi charged Youth Congress activists, injuring many, one of them seriously, during the ‘Mashal Morcha’ organised against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the State capital.
The incident occurred when a large number of Youth Congress activists led by Goa Pradesh Youth Congress (GPYC) president Varad Mardolkar took out a ‘Mashal Morcha’ from the Azad Maidan.
Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, GPCC vice president Sankalp Amonkar, general secretary Janardhan Bhandari, Mahila Congress president Beena Naik and Raju Cabral were also present.
As the morcha was heading towards the offices of the offshore casinos, the police tried to stop them near Hotel Mandovi. Seeing this, the protestors changed the route and turned towards another route where again the police stopped them.
This annoyed the Youth Congress workers who jostled with the police and tried to break the cordon. The police tried to push them back and resorted to a lathi charge to disperse them.
During the lathi charge, several Youth Congress members were injured and one of the Congress members identified as Sajida Begum (46) from Corlim was seriously injured and has been admitted to a private hospital. Another member, Uday Pai, was treated in a private hospital at Vasco and was discharged later in the night.
GPYC president Varad Mardolkar alleged that the police illegally resorted to lathi charge the peaceful demonstration and there was no order from the Tiswadi magistrate. He said this was the second time the police have lathi charged Youth Congress members, the other being last month. Mardolkar said he had applied for permission but was not granted.
Tiswadi Mamlatdar Rahul Desai said he had not ordered the lathi charge. Panjim Police Inspector Suddesh Naik told Herald that the protestors had not obtained necessary permission from the District Magistrate to hold a rally in the city. He said police were informed that a protest would be held in front of the Congress office but later nearly 300 protestors took out a mashal rally which was unlawful and tried to break the police cordon.
GPCC president Girish Chodankar has condemned the lathi charge on Youth Congress members. He tweeted, “Ruthless and brutal arrogance of BJP @BJP4Goa and CM @DrPramodPSawant was on display when he ordered police to lathi charge peaceful ‘Mashal Morcha’ of Goa Pradesh Youth Congress workers in #Panaji. #Goa is watching the atrocities committed on peaceful citizens. BJP’s days are numbered.”
Chodankar demanded that the Director General of Police (DGP) should reveal who ordered the lathi charge and why peaceful protestors were attacked. “Why police are acting like BJP’s personal force? Why were even women protestors chased and lathi charged? What was the fear about ‘Mashal Morcha?’ he asked.
