Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: A day after an FIR was registered against former Goa Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Subhash Velingkar, the protest in South Goa intensfied demanding immediate arrest of the Sangh leader.
Tension prevailed in Margao after hundreds of protesters hit the streets to demand FIR and arrest against Subhash Velingkar for his remarks on the DNA of St Francis Xavier
The protestors including poltiical opponents gathered in large in Margao, blocking traffic, demanding that Velingkar should be arrested and that he should publicly apologize.
The Bicholim Police has registered FIR against former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Goa chief Subhash Velingkar for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by making comments on St Francis Xavier.
According to police, Velingkar with malicious intentions gave maligning speech at Azad Maidan at Bicholim against St Francis Xavier outraging the religious feelings and insulting religious beliefs of the complainant, the entire class of his religion and others.
Velingkar has been booked under section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) of 2023 on a complaint filed by Velim MLA Cruz Silva, police said, adding further investigation is in progress.
After hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets on Friday night to demand that Subhash Velingkar be charged with a crime due to his comments regarding St. Francis Xavier’s DNA, tensions in Margao grew.
To file a complaint and seek a FIR against Velingkar, they initially gathered at the Margao police station. The demonstrators stopped the main city route next to the Margao Post Office since the Margao police had not responded to their complaint and the men-in-uniform insisted that they had transferred it to the Bicholim police station.
Later, the demonstrators closed off the road near the Municipal Garden on the side facing the Marliz cafe, preventing any vehicles from entering the city and requiring the police to reroute traffic.
Soon, the demonstrators, who demanded that Subhash Velingkar face a formal complaint, blocked the city entrance at the Old Collectorate building, which is close to the Eagle store. Protesters withdrew the blockage at 8:20 p.m. and proceeded to the Margao police station, where they persisted in their demand for a formal complaint against Velingkar.
Senior police officials informed the demonstrators that Velingkar’s FIR will be filed in 45 minutes, which by then made it clear that the upper brass of the police had chosen to file the report.
Speakers blamed Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, accusing him directly of being responsible for the hold-up in filing a FIR against Velingkar. They cited the Goa Police’s prompt filing of formal complaints against Fr. Bolmax Pereira and other occurrences, while accusing the government of being slow to file a formal complaint against Velinkgar due to political considerations.
Velim MLA Cruz Silva drew attention to the fact that despite several complaints made against Velingkar at different police stations, the government has not taken any action in the subject. Cruz expressed regret, saying, “It’s been four days since Velingkar hurt the sentiments of the people of Goa, but this insensitive government has yet to initiate action.”
