QUEPEM
Amid clashes among rival political groups in parts of Vasco, similar tension has also been reported in Quepem, with Quepem’s Congress MLA Altone D’Costa alleging that his supporters have been assaulted by a rival group because they were celebrating his victory by bursting crackers.
A Congress supporter Rohit Maldar of Coleamodd’ddi-Quepem on Saturday lodged a complaint against four persons, accusing them of assaulting and threatening to kill him.
D’Costa along with a group of supporters marched to the Quepem police station on Saturday demanding the immediate arrest of all four accused named in the complaint.
In his compliant, Maldar said he had burst crackers on March 10 at a public place to celebrate D’Costa’s victory as an MLA.
“Eight days after the incident, the four persons began arguing with me and demanded to know why I had been bursting crackers on road and asked me if I was the MLA’s relative. They then started abusing and assaulting me. All the accused further threatened me to kill if I lodged a police complaint against them,” said Maldar.
One accused named in the complaint is an employee of Quepem Municipal Council.
A day earlier, all banners and posters of the Congress MLA with congratulatory messages were defaced by the rival group on Thursday night.
Soon after lodging the complaint at Quepem police station, D’Costa said his rivals could not digest the mandate given to him by the people of Quepem.
“After being frustrated, they started destroying our banners and now they are targeting our supporters with physical assault. We will not tolerate such type of goondagiri in Quepem. I have requested the police to book the accused immediately before situation goes out of control,” said D’Costa.
Quepem PI Deepak Pednekar has assured the MLA that all the persons named in the complaint will be summoned to the police station and action will be initiated as per the law.
