PANAJI
The opening day of the Budget session of the Goa Legislative Assembly was rocked by high drama on Friday after a group of locals seated in the visitors’ gallery erupted in protest over the Mirabag Bandara issue. This evoked a sharp confrontation inside the House, prompting Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to call for their immediate arrest.
The protest broke out moments after proceedings began when Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai raised the Adjournment Motion on the issue, catching members off guard.
Raising slogans from the gallery, the protesters with placards disrupted the proceedings and forced the Chair to intervene as marshals and security personnel rushed to restore order.
A visibly angry Sawant demanded that the police and security personnel take the protesters into custody from the very spot. “These are terrorist-minded people who want to provoke others,” he said on the floor of the House, expressing concern over the breach of security within the Assembly premises. He later moved for a breach of privilege for investigation.
Sawant warned that allowing such incidents could set a dangerous precedent. “Today, they have come to shout slogans. Tomorrow they might come with a gun,” he said, raising serious security concerns over how the protesters managed to enter the gallery and disrupt the proceedings.
Security personnel subsequently detained the protesters and removed them.
The Opposition reacted sharply to the CM’s remarks and the order to arrest the protesters, with several MLAs terming the action “a shame”. Opposition members alleged that the government was attempting to suppress dissent rather than address the grievances raised over the Mirabag Bandara issue.
Sawant, however, accused the Opposition of being behind the protest and of encouraging the disruption within the Assembly.
Senior minister Sudin Dhavalikar condemned the incident, saying such behaviour had never been witnessed in the Assembly before. “We have never seen this during my 35 years as an MLA. There is no ethics and no principle.... There is fear that protesters could harm legislators or even the Speaker. Who will be held accountable if stones are pelted at members or the Speaker?” he questioned.
Minister VIshwajit Rane also condemned the action of the protestors, demanding that such “dadagiri” should not be allowed.
Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar ruled out dropping the Mirabag bandhara project, asserting that the government would not compromise on water security. “We are setting a precedent in the House and before the public — no one can win elections like this,” Shirodkar said. “This issue concerns water, and there will be no compromise on water.”
He recalled that people had earlier sacrificed their land and homes for the Selaulim dam, which today serves as the lifeline of South Goa. “The Mirabag project will continue. We have initiated a similar project at Opa — has it submerged anything?” he asked.
Shirodkar also cautioned against politicising the issue ahead of elections. “Just because elections are approaching, do not try to damage Goa’s image. No one can win elections like this,” he said.
The Speaker rejected an adjournment motion moved by the Opposition over the issue, stating that such motions cannot be entertained during Question Hour and urging members to allow the House to proceed with its scheduled business.
