Goa now a 'criminal destination': Congress demands sacking of Sawant government

A four-page memorandum lists a series of crimes against women and shoddy police investigations as one of the key grounds for dismissal of the state government

The state's main opposition party, Congress, on Tuesday, urged Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai to sack the incumbent BJP-led coalition government claiming a "collapse in the law and order situation" in the state under the leadership of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.

Top Congress leaders, including state party president Girish Chodankar and Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat met Pillai at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum listing grounds for the state government's dismissal.

"This government has no moral right to remain in power. The Governor of Goa should take serious note of the collapse of the law and order situation in the state and dismiss the BJP Government immediately," Kamat told reporters after meeting the Governor.

"There is a steep rise in criminal activities in Goa. The incidents of rape, murder, mysterious deaths, kidnappings, gang wars are happening almost on a daily basis. The BJP Government headed by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant has transformed Goa but failed to provide safety and security to Goans," the memorandum states.

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The four-page document lists a series of crimes against women and shoddy police investigations as one of the key grounds for dismissal of the state government.

"The police department is yet to come to the conclusion of the mysterious death of a young girl Siddhi Naik whose body was found at the Calangute beach on August 12. Yesterday, there was an incident of a father raping his own 6-year-old daughter in Salcete. On the same day, an attempt to abduct a girl in Ponda was reported by the parents of a teenage girl. This shows that there is no fear in the minds of the people about the police and the government. The anti-social elements feel that Goa is now a criminal destination," the memorandum states.

"This government did not take any corrective measures to control the criminal activities in Goa after coming to power. They have encouraged criminal mafia, drug mafia and beggar mafia in the state of Goa which has dented the image of this peaceful state," the memorandum also states, while mentioning gang wars as well as several murders which have occurred in broad daylight over the last few months.

"The memorandum has stated that all these incidents prove that Goa has now become a criminal hub," the Congress memorandum states.