Team Goemkarponn
SANCOALE: Former Sancoale Panch Govind Lamani along with other members of the Banjara community, filed a police complaint at the Verna police station on Tuesday, alleging that politician-cum-activist Pratima Coutinho had made derogatory comments about the Banjara community and insulted his wife, Anusha Lamani, a panch member.
All India Banjara Samaj National Vice President, Suresh Rajput, also voiced strong condemnation and demanded a public apology from Coutinho.
Govind Lamani expressed disappointment over remarks allegedly made by Coutinho during a recent meeting at the Sancoale Panchayat.
“I was deeply hurt because Pratima Coutinho said that ‘there are all Lamanis in the Sancoale Panchayat,’ portraying us in a negative light,” Lamani stated.
Lamani emphasised that the alleged remarks were particularly distressing given his family’s commitment to public service and questioned Coutinho’s intentions.
“Does she mean Lamanis are not human or that we cannot contest elections? Pratima Coutinho has failed to win elections but comes here to insult my wife and make remarks on her caste. This is the second time I’ve heard her make such remarks,” he said, adding that the matter prompted him to file a police complaint.
The incident has drawn significant attention from the Banjara community.
All India Banjara Samaj National Vice President, Suresh Rajput, voiced strong condemnation and demanded a public apology from Coutinho.
“We are a peaceful community in Goa, but we are often targeted for our caste. This behaviour is unacceptable. Anusha Lamani has every right to contest and hold office, and Pratima Coutinho has no authority to demean her. If an apology is not issued, we are prepared to escalate this to higher authorities, including the SC/ST forum, which could lead to non-bailable charges,” Rajput warned.
Rajput called for restraint but stressed that the community would not tolerate further disrespect.
“We request Pratima Coutinho to publicly apologise to Anusha Lamani and refrain from using caste to belittle our community,” he added.
