Team Goemkarponn
Panaji/Porvorim: Social activist Swapnesh Sherlekar today was questioned for over three hours by the Panjim police on Friday in connection with a case related to alleged comments hurting religious sentiments.
Sherlekar said he cooperated fully with the investigation as per the High Court’s directive, adding that he showed police a video from his phone but did not hand it over.
Several activists gathered outside the police station to show their support for Sherlekar. The FIR was lodged on September 29 based on a complaint by BJP leader Kareena Shirodkar, who alleged that Sherlekar made remarks against BJP leaders and Navratri celebrations in a viral video.
Porvorim police had registered a non-cognisable offence against former BJP North Goa district president Mahanand Asnodkar for allegedly threatening Sherlekar over a phone call.
According to reports, after watching the video, Asnodkar allegedly called Sherlekar, abused him, and labelled him a traitor. An audio clip purportedly of the conversation has since gone viral on social media. Sherlekar, accompanied by his colleagues, lodged a complaint at the Porvorim Police Station later that night.
Both Sherlekar and Asnodkar were summoned to the station, where police counselled them to maintain decorum and avoid further confrontation.
The episode had triggered sharp political reactions across the State. Goa Forward Party President Vijai Sardesai had demanded Asnodkar’s immediate arrest, drawing parallels with the recent assault on activist Rama Kankonkar. Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao had aso urged police to ensure protection for Sherlekar, while Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira had lashed out at the ruling BJP, accusing it of encouraging a “goonda raj” and fostering an atmosphere of fear to suppress dissenting voices.
With investigations underway and tempers flaring, the incident has once again brought to the forefront the growing tension between activists and political figures in Goa’s charged social media landscape.
