Team Goemkarponn
BAGA: In a shocking incident that has sparked widespread outrage, “Pakistan Zindabad” messages were displayed on LED signboards at two establishments in the popular tourist belt of Arpora and Baga late Tuesday evening.
Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant confirmed that the LED boards had been installed without permission and said that strict action has already been initiated by the police.
“The investigation is underway, and such acts will not be tolerated,” he stated.
The controversial messages appeared on digital boards at Revive Hair Cutting Salon and Whiskey Pedia, prompting swift action from Calangute and Anjuna Police, who detained the shop owners and disconnected the LED systems.
FIRs have been registered under Sections 152 read with 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 66C and 66F of the Information Technology Act.
Reacting sharply, Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) chief Manoj Parab blamed the government for allowing what he described as a “breakdown of law and order.”
He claimed that Goa has become a “safe zone for criminals” and accused political parties of protecting “anti-social elements” for “vote bank politics.” Parab urged Goans to remain vigilant, particularly with regard to migrant verification and electoral roll scrutiny.
Meanwhile, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo condemned the incident, stating, “No one would dare to raise slogans of Pakistan Zindabad in Goa or anywhere in India.”
Suggesting that the LED displays may have been hacked to stoke communal tension, Lobo appealed to youth not to fall for provocation. “Those getting aggressive over this issue are only trying to prove themselves as leaders,” he remarked. He further advised the shop owners to file a cyber crime complaint with Anjuna Police Station.
The incident has raised questions about cybersecurity and communal sensitivities in Goa’s tourism hubs, even as police probe whether the displays were a result of a deliberate act or a hacking attempt.
