VASCO
Cortalim MLA Anton Vas along with Cortalim Sarpanch Ujwala Naik and panchayat members, gathered at the Verna Police Station to demand strict action against Krishna Yadav of Pinna Nagoa and native of Varanasi, who allegedly assaulted Panchayat member Michael De Sa with a rod on March 3.
Vas condemned the attack, emphasising that violence against elected representatives would not be tolerated.
“De Sa was assaulted on the head with a rod by a migrant when he was only doing his duty. The attacker fled the scene, but Verna Police took swift action and arrested him. Now, we want to know why this happened. Strict action must be taken to ensure such incidents do not occur again in Cortalim,” said Vas.
He further asserted that any assault on a panchayat member sets a dangerous precedent. “If a panchayat member can be attacked today, tomorrow it could be anyone else. We will not allow such lawlessness in our constituency,” he added.
Sarpanch Ujwala Naik stated that the attack was completely unjustified.
“The panchayat had already taken a resolution to remove illegal carts and gaddas from the area. De Sa had only gone to request people not to drink there when he was suddenly attacked. We will conduct a site inspection and take strict action against any illegal activities in the area,” said Naik.
De Sa, who sustained head injuries in the attack, recounted the incident. “Residents had complained about nuisance caused by people drinking in the area. When I requested them to stop, I was assaulted, and my head started bleeding. The attacker fled, but the police acted swiftly. I urge authorities to ensure continuous patrolling and remove the illegal gaddas to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.
The panchayat members and MLA Vas reiterated their stand that assaults on locals, especially elected representatives, would not be tolerated and called for stringent punishment for the accused.
