MARGAO
In a development that has raised many an eyebrow, the South Goa district authorities have rejected the intimation of the Concerned Citizens of Goa to stage a peaceful protest opposite the district Collectorate on July 2, at 11 am in solidarity with Teesta Setalvad, R B Sreekumar and Mohammed Zubair citing spurt in Covid cases and to avoid law and order situation.
The Concerned Citizens of Goa and the Civil Society led by social activist Lumina Da Costa Almeida has slammed the decision of the authorities. She has slammed the authorities for trampling down on the fundamental rights under the pretext of Covid, when the government has allowed crowds at tiatrs, movies, gathering besides tourism. Lumina said the authorities have even allowed some persons from Maharashtra who had roamed from state to state several times over to gather in Goa.
On behalf of the concerned citizens, Lumina had applied for permission to stage the peaceful protest to voice their concern and to demand the immediate release of the detained human rights activists.
“We the concerned citizens of Goa are very much concerned and disturbed due to illegal detention of human rights activists in Gujarat Teesta Setalvad, R B Sreekumar and Journalist Mohammed Zubair. Not only in India but, the world is voicing their protest against the brutal force of fascist regime for violating human rights in India. India is a Democratic country and our Constitution has given us all rights as law abiding citizens to voice & fight for our rights/ justice and of fellow citizens,” Lumina stated in the letter.
Deputy Collector, Margao Uday Prabuudesai, however, rejected the permission. Prabhudesai stated that the application to hold the peaceful protest was referred to the PI, Fatorda Police Station to verify the situation and submit comments and reports. He, however, said the PI, Fatorda Police Station has requested this office vide report No. PI/Fatorda/3077/2022 dated 01/07/2022 stating that considering the present scenario of rise in Covid cases and to avoid any law and order situation the request of the applicant is rejected.
The deputy Collector further said the Traffic Cell too has strongly objected to the protest from the traffic point of view.
