PANAJI: A “mashal morcha” organised by Congress on Wednesday turned violent after Goa Police decided to lathicharge workers protesting against the functioning of off-shore casinos. Congress protesters claimed that the hordes of people visiting the casinos, who have been permitted to operate at 50% capacity, will lead to the third Covid-19 wave in the state.
Congress also demanded that the state government halt the ongoing five-day world poker championship being conducted by one of the off-shore casino operators. They said that if the tournament is not stopped, Congress workers would enter the casino vessels and disrupt the tournament.
A huge posse of police personnel threw a massive cordon around the casinos to prevent protesters from reaching the reception area of the off-shore casinos on D B Road.
Congress claimed that no SOPs are being followed by off-shore casinos. “It appears as if the casinos have given the contract to Goa Police to protect them. Police have hit women. Nobody has any right today to protest in Goa because Goa Police has been asked to beat up everyone,” said Youth Congress president Varad Mardolkar.
Mardolkar along with Amarnath Panjikar, Sankalp Amonkar, Janardhan Bhandari, Curtorim MLA Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco, Naushad Chaudhari and many others led the protest.
Despite clear evidence that police personnel swung the lathi on the protesters, including women and youth, senior police officers later claimed that no lathicharge took place.
“Congress demands that the DGP should tell who ordered the lathicharge? Why were peaceful protesters attacked? Why are police acting like BJP’s personal force? Why were even lady protesters chased and lathicharged,” said state Congress president Girish Chodankar.
“We need to condemn the behaviour of this government and of Goa Police. The government has said that the casinos can operate at 50% capacity but there is no check on this, nobody is checking their vaccination status or if they are wearing masks. This will lead to the third wave,” said Congress vice-president Sankalp Amonkar.
The mamlatdar said that the rally had blocked the public road and that there was no permission to block the road. However, Congress workers said that the police had blocked the road as part of the protective cordon. “See the crowds that are outside the casinos. Nobody is wearing masks. What is the intention behind inviting people from the whole world to play in the casinos?” said Mardolkar.
