Protesters refusing to leave the Margao Police Headquarters after they were removed from Lohia Maidan and brought to the police station.
Margao
The protesters, many of whom were women, vowed not to leave the Margao Police Headquarters until the four persons detained by the Porvorim police are released unconditionally.
They also strongly objected to remarks made by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant regarding the presence of the four persons with placards in the visitors’ gallery, and questioned how the government could consider them terrorists.
Congress leaders Viriato Fernandes, Amit Patkar, Savio D’Silva, Archit Naik, Chirag Naik, Prabhav Naik, Siddesh Bhagat, Warren Alemao and Filol Pereira, along with Vikas Bhagat, joined the protesters at the Margao police station.
The protesters raised slogans against the bhandara project and recited the Lord Ganesh aarti at the police station. Social activist Rama Kankonkar, who visited the protesters late on Friday evening, demanded the unconditional release of the four persons detained by the Porvorim police.
He warned that around 4,000 people would take out a large morcha to the Assembly if the four protesters are not released unconditionally.
Police to seek legal advice
MARGAO: South Goa Superintendent of Police Santosh Desai told the media late on Friday that the police will seek legal advice on how to proceed if the protesters continue their agitation inside the district police headquarters.
Stating that the police handled the protesters, including women and elderly citizens, with due respect, SP Desai said the protestors are free to go home, but they have insisted on continuing their protest at the police station.
When asked about the possibility of the protest continuing on Saturday if the four persons detained by the Porvorim police are not released, the district police chief said the police will seek legal advice on how to deal with the emerging situation.
