MARGAO
Tense moments were witnessed at Sao Jose de Areal on Monday over the installation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue, with police using force to disperse local villagers after Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Dessai was attacked with mud.
Phal Dessai claimed that he did not sustain any major injury in the incident, barring small swelling on the head. A local villager Freddy Travasso was taken to the South Goa district hospital after he complained of assault by the police.
After the tension on Sunday, trouble began at the site when the minister came to inaugurate the statue, which local residents insist has been installed illegally without panchayat permission and without resolving the property issues.
As the minister was walking to the main road after the inauguration, local residents led by Travasso questioned him on how the statue was installed without Panchayat permission.
When Phal Dessai sought to know from the villagers why they were objecting to the Shivaji statue, they replied in one voice they had no objection to the statue per se, but were only protesting over the illegal installation without complying with the laid down norms.
Travasso explained to the minister that permission was sought from the panchayat for the statue on February 9, while the panchayat meeting took place on February 15. “Even before the panchayat could hold a site inspection, land was cleared and the statue was brought at the site on February 18. They could have waited for the panchayat to issue permission so that the statue could be installed legally”, he pointed out.
At one time, the minister said the panchayat is free to initiate action if the statue is installed without complying with the guidelines.
In a bid to diffuse the situation, the minister suggested to the protesting villagers to have a meeting in the office of deputy Collector, Margao with five representatives from the two sides.
The suggestion, however, found no favour with the agitated villagers as they insisted that the statue has been installed illegally without the Panchayat’s nod.
As a strong police force tried to escort the minister out, women tried to obstruct him by squatting on the ground. In the melee, some women were seen throwing mud on the minister before the police used force to keep the protestors at bay and to avert a full blown law and order problem.
After the police and the bodyguards escorted the minister to his waiting vehicle, the Goa police cracked a whip, with DySP Santosh Desai directing the personnel to ensure that no one is allowed to go near the site where the statue is installed.
Members of the Goa Police Pink Force were also deployed to handle the women protestors at the site.
Travasso was taken to the South district hospital after he claimed attack by the police and others in the melee.
