PEOPLE’S POWER: Hundreds turn up for the candle light procession outside the Margao police headquarters on Thursday.
MARGAO
Slogans demanding the sacking of Mauvin Godinho rent the air outside the Margao police headquarters on Thursday, as a massive peaceful candlelight rally -- called to protest against derogatory remarks against St Francis Xavier -- set a deadline of 5 pm on Friday to drop the Transport Minister from the Cabinet and arrest Gautam Kattar.
The protesters have threatened to paralyse Goa in the event Chief Minister Pramod Sawant fails to drop Godinho from his Cabinet and arrest Kattar by Friday evening.
Activists Pratima Coutinho and Meshoo D’Costa said that social activists along with the Opposition parties will meet on Friday evening after the expiry of the 5 pm deadline to chalk out the plan of action to intensify the agitation in support of the twin demands to drop Godinho and arrest Kattar.
Meshoo thundered that the people will paralyse Goa if the CM does not meet the twin demands by Friday evening, while Pratima warned of a Goa bandh.
Opposition MLA Vijai Sardesai, who participated in the candle light procession, warned there would be no more candle light processions after Friday evening. “If the chief minister does not sack Godinho, we will assume that the government too is involved in bringing Kattar to Goa. Godinho is a minister and he should be sacked for endorsing Kattar’s statement against St Francis Xavier. If the CM does not drop Godinho, that would only show the government is hand in gloves with Kattar.
After 5 pm on Friday, there will be no more candle light processions. The people of Goa will intensify the agitation”, Sardesai warned.
Saying that the government has made Kattar’s brother a scapegoat by arresting him, Pratima conveyed a message loud and clear that the Chief Minister should drop Godinho by 5 pm on Friday. “If not we will meet at 6 pm with prominent citizens and Opposition parties and give a call for Goa bandh”, she said.
Activist Rama Kankonkar said the Committee that organised the programme cannot go scot free when they had invited Kattar for it. He further said the three BJP MLAs -- Mauvin, Sankalp Amonkar and Krishna Salkar should be terminated from the Legislative Assembly.
NCP Chief Jose Philip said the organisers, who had paid money to Kattar are conspirators in the entire case. He warned that the people of Goa will not rest till Godinho is dropped from the Cabinet.
Former minister Mickky Pacheco said that Godinho represented the government at the religious programme at Vasco and had endorsed Kattar’s speech. “If the CM says the government has nothing to do with Kattar, he should immediately sack Godinho... else entire Goa will be paralysed. The government will realise the power of the people”, he said.
Activist Shankar Polge charged that puppets from outside the State are brought to Goa to divide the people on religious lines. “Is this government enjoying by getting the Christian community on the streets”, he questioned.
Former Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa said the time has come for the government to arrest Kattar or face the brunt of the people.
Earlier, people from all walks of life assembled at the Lohia Maidan in response to the call given by social activists to join in a peaceful candle light procession. After a short prayer by Fr Eremito Rebello, the procession kicked off from the Lohia Maidan, with participants singing hymns on St Xavier, before it wend its way to the Margao police headquarters.
Amongst those who participate in the procession includes MLA Vijai Sardesai, Jose Philip D’Souza, Mickky Pacheco, Wilfred D’Sa, Warren Alemao, Prabhav Naik and hundreds others.
Meanwhile, SP South Santosh Desai said the participants have submitted a memorandum to him demanding the arrest of Kattar. He explained that the participants were explained over the progress of investigations in the case.
