the goan I networkrMARGAOrrTen days later, miscreants returned to Chandor to vandalize the Alma Khuris in the village on June 18. r Even as the villagers took the desecrations of the religious symbol in their stride, leaving the Goa police to investigate the cases, the miscreants struck again in the village. The Alma Khuris was damaged on the night of July 2. Besides, another cross was damaged at Guddi on the road leading to Chandor. That’s not all. This time, the miscreants targeted a cross and statue of Our Lady of Vailankani at Paroda, the home village of Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias. rWhile the Cuncolim MLA suspected that the incidents are the handiwork of his political opponents, in a bid to avenge their political defeats, the miscreant struck in neighbouring Curtoirm village last, besides a cross at the Aquem Power house and later the Nandi statue and Tulsi Vrundavan at Calconda-Margao. r The two crosses are all located along the Curtorim-Davorlim-Aquem power house-Calconda road, indicating that these incidents are the handiwork of one group of miscreants. rrDon’t indulge in politics, Parrikar toldrMARGAO: Saying that the recent desecration incidents have only exposed the police department’s intelligence failure, Curtorim Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco on Tuesday told the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar not to indulge in politics on this sensitive issue, and act fast before the situation goes out of control. r Reginaldo along with a delegation of residents had come to meet the district police chief, Chandan Chaudhary to highlight the spate of desecrations and burglaries reported in Salcete in recent times. r He later told the media that the Chief Minister’s statement that the incidents are taking place ahead of the bye-elections shows that the later is trying to politicize the issue. “What message is the CM trying to communicate to the people? There ought to be no politics on this sensitive issue. We are with the police to solve these incidents. I would like to tell the Chief Minister not to involve politics in such sensitive issues. Let him say that he is taking action as he is the custodian of the law,” he said.
No headway in Salcete’s desecration incidents
The spate of desecrations reported from Salcete, in which crosses have been targetted almost every Sunday in the past few weeks, has thrown up a question or two whether the incidents are executed with a design to fuel communal unrest. rnIt had all started with the desecration of a Holy Cross at Chandor village on June 7, located on the Chandor-Assolda border.
