PANIJM: Chief Minister Digambar Kamat faced protests at two public functions at Kala Academy and National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) at Dona Paula, Friday over the medium of instruction (MoI) issue. Panjim police picked up 15 activists from the Dinanath Mangueshkar auditorium, Kala Academy ahead of the formal function where CM was to launch diabetic registry in the State.
Thereafter Friday morning, a group led by Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar laid siege inside the Panjim town police station criticizing the detention of 15 activists from Kala Academy as unauthorized. Former Mayor Ashok Naik, sitting corporators of the Corporation of City of Panajim – Shekhar Degvekar, Shubada Dhond and Vaidhayee Naik along with 12 others court arrested.
Parrikar, along with Govind Parvatkar, Vishnu Wagh and other corporators joined them at the police station and refused to move demanding that those arrested be released respectfully. “They were at Kala Academy not to agitate but to attend the program which had public invitation. It is ruthless on the part of the police to pick them up from their seats,” Parrikar told reporters at the police station.
He alleged that the corporators were manhandled. Police claimed the activists were detained as preventive measure (section 151 CrPC) as they planned to protest during the function where Chief Minister, Ambassador of Denmark to India Freddy Svane and others were in attendance.
With slogans against chief minister, the protestors moved only after North Goa Superintendent of Police Arvind Gawas and DySP Deu Benaulikar arrived there and released the activists. Later in the evening, Kamat was booed by protestors who were blocked little ahead of Dr Jack Sequeira’s circle at NIO, Dona Paula.
Sports Authority of Goa had organized a felicitation for Goa’s ace swimmer Talasha Prabhu in which Kamat and sports minister Babu Azgaonkar were the chief guests. Parrikar who entered the venue was requested by the Sports Director Suzan D’Souza not to disrupt the function. “Don’t mix politics with sports…” she requested the former chief minister.
After waiting for nearly 15 minutes, Parrikar walked out of the auditorium as the chief guests had still not arrived. The protestors partially blocked the road to NIO till the function. Earlier, BJP leaders said that cabinet has illegally decided on the MoI issue, which should actually be decided by the legislative assembly.
“Cabinet is not above the assembly. It has to work within the ambit of law. When the law says you cannot take the decision about the MoI they are bound not to take a decision,” he said terming it a ‘illegality’ and ‘irregularity’ to the highest magnitude.
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