Oppn threatens blockade of National highway in Canacona

Goa Forward and AAP leaders at a public meeting in Canacona on Tuesday.

CANACONA
Accusing the State government of failing to give a free hand to the police in narrowing down on the kingpin involved in the brutal attack on social activist Rama Kankonkar, the Opposition on Tuesday threatened to block the NH66 at Canacona if the kingpin was not arrested.

The Opposition, which included Goa Forward Party President and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai and AAP Goa President Amit Palekar, addressed a public meeting in Shristhal-Canacona as part of its ‘Goa Against Gundaraj’ campaign across the State. “It’s an attack on the peaceful Goenkars. The attack on Rama was bad, but the good thing is BJP’s Ravan Rajya has brought all the Goans together,” said Sardesai.

“The three issues of forest rights, tribal sub-plan and political reservation continue to remain unaddressed, and Rama Kankonkar, being from the community, has questioned these pending issues.”

“Today, Gunda Rajya is going on in the State. The BJP has shown that if people from the Gauda, Kunbi & Velip communities are asking for something, they will be attacked.” “BJP will see the first casualty in ZP polls, then ‘Kranti’ will be made in the 2027 assembly elections,” Sardesai added.

GFP General Secretary Prashant Naik warned that the NH66 at Canacona would be blocked if the ‘kingpin’ in the brutal attack on Kankonkar was not arrested. “If people give us the direction, the committee of ‘Goa Against Gundaraj’ and we in Canacona will not allow a single vehicle to cross the highway. This responsibility will be taken by us (Canconkars) and we have shown this before,” said Naik.

“We won’t bow down to the government’s threats to arrest us on law and order, but till this government does not find the actual kingpin of the attack on Rama, we will block the highway.”

AAP Goa President Amit Palekar accused the BJP of being a party of Gundas. “We are, however, not afraid of their threats. The time has come to fight against the Goodaism of BJP and throw them out of power,” said Palekar.

Others who also spoke at the meeting are Mohandas Lolienkar and Prashant Naik of GFP and activists, including Xencor Polji, Fidoll Pereira and Meshu D’Costa.