Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday condemned the detention of Karapur‑Sarvan villagers who attempted to march to Azad Maidan in Panaji to protest against the Lodha mega project and pay tribute to Goa’s freedom fighters.
Kejriwal, accompanied by AAP's Goa in-charge Atishi, State President Valmiki Naik, and other leaders paid tributes to freedom fighters at the memorial at Azad Maidan to mark Goa Revolution Day.
Speaking to the media later, he said it was “deeply ironic” that on the day commemorating the 1946 civil disobedience movement against Portuguese rule, peaceful protesters were detained by the police.
Karapur-Saravan villagers have been agitating for over 75 days, demanding scrapping of the Lodha project, which they allege threatens local land, forests and livelihoods.
Police on Thursday stopped them from proceeding to Azad Maidan and detained several, including women, at Old Goa Police Station.
Kejriwal compared the police action to authoritarian tactics, saying the BJP government was “suppressing dissent” in the same way Salazar’s regime once denied civil liberties.
He pledged AAP’s unstinted support to the villagers and said their struggle would continue until the project was cancelled.
After the Azad Maidan tribute, AAP's local leaders including Naik, MLA Cruz Silva and senior vice president Sandesh Teleikar Dessai visited the police station to meet the detained villagers.
Silva accused the BJP of “selling Goa wholesale” and ignoring public concerns over destructive projects. He said the protest was peaceful but the government was attempting to break the unity of people resisting the project.
Valmiki Naik drew parallels between the detention of Karapur villagers and the arrest of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia and Dr Juliao Menezes during the 1946 Margao march.
“History appears to be repeating itself,” he said, adding that the government was “terrified of dissent.”
The AAP leaders were among other Opposition politicians who were also at Old Goa police station to support the Karapur agitation, which has become the latest flashpoint in the debate over land use and development in Goa.
