CANACONA
Clashes broke out at the Canacona Shigmotsav floats parade, as the floats procession were organised amid tight police protection late Thursday evening.
The situation remained tense on Thursday evening, as hundreds of people gathered at Char-Rasta, the starting point of Shigmo parade, defying police directives and ensuing several arguments and counter arguments between the police, the organisers and rival groups.
There was trouble right from the word go, as hundreds of people including Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) Chairperson Prathana Naik Gaunkar, former Canaocna MLA Vijay Poi Khot, former chairpersons Ranga Raikar, Rajendra Dessai, Ramakant Naik Gaunkar and local activists had gathered at Char-Rasta, defied police instructions to vacate the place.
“We have come to seek explanation from the sports minister for ignoring the chairperson’s office in organising the Shigmo floats. How can a chairperson be ignored when an activity is organised right in the municipal vicinity,” said a protestor.
Later, the protesters were joined by former minister Isidore Fernandes, Canacona Block Congress President Elvis Fernandes, as Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, scheduled to inaugurate the Shigmo parade at 5 pm, delayed in his arrival.
When Tawadkar reached the site at about 6.30 pm, protesters along with the CMC chairperson sought an audience with the minister. A police team led by DySP Tavares tried to block the protesters from proceeding to the minister, but as the demand grew louder, Gaunkar and others marched towards the location where minister had alighted.
At one point, a protester standing behind the CMC chairperson shouted that he had been slapped by a close aide of the minister.
Pandemonium broke out as the protesters demanded the immediate arrest of the minister's aide. As the police struggled to control the situation, they managed to pull out all the protesting people from the minister’s vicinity.
With the police reluctant to arrest the minister's aide, the protesters threatened to squat on the road and block the highway. Police then swung into action and physically lifted at least a dozen of the protesters sitting on the road.
Meanwhile, the Romtamel set to participate in the parade began to play loud music, an indication to the organizers to start the Shigmo floats.
Over 300 police personnel from various police stations at Cuncolim, Quepem, Vasco, Vasco Harbour and Railway Police were deployed at the site. DySP Sammy Tavares, PIs Praveen Gawas, Nilesh Rane, besides Canacona PI Philomeno Costa and PSI Prashal Dessai and other PSIs were also present to supervise the situation.
Amid shouts from the protesters, Tawadkar flagged-off the Shigmo parade, much to the satisfaction of the participants.
The protesters then tried to stop the minister's entourage but were stopped as soon as they stepped inside the parade route, leading to heated arguments.
The police finally succeeded in cooling the tempers, even as hundreds of people waited at Char-Rasta expecting to catch a glimpse of the Shigmo floats.
