No police presence in area after reported attempt on panchayat panch’s life; Retaliation from rival group was swift in communally sensitive area
MARGAO
Violent incidents at the communally sensitive Rumdamol Housing Board have left a host of questions for the authorities to answer after an attempt was made on the life of BJP leader and Rumdamol panchayat member Vinayak Volvoikar on late Saturday.
In fact, questions are being raised why the men-in-uniform did not move with alacrity to make its presence visible across the housing board, which had earned notoriety over the years for communal violence and tension after the attack on Volvoikar.
One, did the police top brass not anticipate a violent reaction from the rival groups after Vinayak Volvoikar claimed an attempt was made on his life. Take note, Volvoikar was in the forefront in demanding a stop to the madrassa activities inside a residential premise in the village. That there have been tensions simmering both at the gram sabha meetings and outside for quite some time now over the controversial madrassa, has only thrown up another question as to why the police did not anticipate a violent reaction on the madrassa after the attack on Volvoikar.
In fact, within hours of the reported attempt on Volvoikar’s life, the retaliation from the rival group was swift, with groups ransacking the madrassa premises before stoning the vehicles of former sarpanch and panch member, Saimulla Faniband, whose wife is the sarpanch of Rumdamol village.
Police’s brief presence near Saimulla’s residence
A CCTV footage shows that two police jeeps had made its presence felt at the residence of Saimulla Faniband in the wee hours of Sunday. After making its presence for a brief moment, the police jeeps left the venue. Moments later, however, a group of persons could be seen walking outside Saimulla’s residence before stoning his two vehicles, again throwing up a simple question – how come the group involved in the stoning incident assemble quickly outside Saimulla’s residence just a couple of minutes after the police left the venue.
No bandobast at housing board
The police were deployed in strength at the Lohia Maidan throughout Sunday on the occasion of Goa Revolution Day programme. The police top brass led by DySP Santosh Desai, besides police officials from the Margao police sub-division PI Tulsidas Naik, PI Theron D’Costa, besides PI Tukaram Chawan were roped in for bandobast duties, both during 18th June morning programme and the Save Mhadei, Save Goa Front protest scheduled in the evening near the Lohia Maidan.
Incidentally, when these senior police officers were deployed for duties near the Lohia Maidan, the simmering tension again burst into a violent incident in the evening, resulting in the ransacking of a beef stall at the housing board.
Was prior permission obtained for rally?
MARGAO: The role of the police has again come into question after a group of persons, shouting Jai Shivaji slogans took out a march in the housing board on Sunday evening. The protesters marched on the road before it culminated near the beef staff, throwing up a host of questions for senior police officials to answer – did the protesters obtain prior permission from the concerned authorities to take out the march, more so when the housing board was rocked by a spate of violent incidents since Saturday night.
After last year’s riots in Delhi, triggered by the rallies taken out by some organisations, the Apex Court, sources said, had come down heavily on the authorities for permitting unauthorised rallies, making it mandatory for the states to ensure that prior permission is obtained by any group before taking out procession and rallies.
Questions are being raised whether the police had made any attempt to stop the rally from heading towards the beef stall, or whether the police had moved against the protesters after the rally and the incident for taking out the rally.
No doubt, the police have been seen in a video trying to stop the protesters from ransacking the beef stall, but the damage was already done to the stall before the men-in-uniform came to the spot.
Did police take cognisance of speech against ‘beef’ warning?
MARGAO: Are the authorities geared up to handle any situation in view of the video that has gone viral on the social media wherein a leader of a right wing organisation is seen warning against “beef” in Margao and the city outskirts.
The video has been doing the rounds since Sunday even after a beef stall was ransacked at the Rumdamol Housing Board. In fact, the video shows the speaker initially saying that beef sold by the stalls at the housing board needs to be verified by the police and other authorities, whether the meat is being procured from authorised abattoirs or from other sources, ostensibly suggesting moral policing to curb illegalities in beef business.
The speaker is later heard saying that beef should not be allowed in Margao, the land of Presiding deity Lord Dambab, evoking thunderous applause from the people around.
Questions are being raised in the social media whether the Goa Police have taken cognisance of the speech made by the leader as shown in the video. For, leave alone the beef stalls in the Rumdamol Housing Board, a number of beef stalls are operating in the Margao Municipal market at the Gandhi market and in the SGPDA-run retail market at Old market.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Muslim community from the Rumdamol Housing Board was invited for discussion by Margao Sub-Divisional Police Officer, DySP Santosh Desai at the South Goa district police headquarters on Tuesday.
Besides members of the Rumdamol Masjid, former sarpanch and panch member Saimulla Faniband had discussion with the police officers on the situation, two days after the housing board was rocked by violence and tension.
The delegation is believed to have drawn attention of the police officers the violence and the damage caused to the vehicles and other properties.
