Mahadayi-related rally permit revoked, Goa CM slammed

The main opposition party in Goa, the Congress, slammed Chief Minister Pramod Sawant after a municipal body in Sawant's legislative assembly constituency of Sanquelim revoked permission to a 'Chalo Mhadei' rally originally scheduled to be held on Sunday, to protest against the state government's inaction in the ongoing dispute over the Mahadayi (also referred to as the Mhadei or Mandovi in Goa) river with Karnataka.

"Our Constitution gives every citizen the right to peaceably assemble, question and object to acts of the government by demonstrations, agitations and public meetings, to launch sustained protest movements. But BJP is violating and suppressing this right of citizens. Why is the BJP suppressing the rights of Goans? Is it because the BJP disbelieves in Gandhian thought and the democratic spirit upheld by the Supreme Court and the Constitution of India?" former state Congress president Girish Chodankar told reporters here on Friday.

Various NGOs in Goa had sought permission for the rally scheduled to be held on the Sanquelim Municipal Council ground in the town of Sanquelim, before the permission to hold the 'Chalo Mhadei' rally was revoked late on Friday.

"As the weekly Sanquely bazaar is set up on every Monday in adjoining open spaces of said Sanquelim Municipal ground the possibility of traffic congestion and commotion on the proposed day of your event which coincides with the weekly market cannot be ruled out," chief officer of the municipal council Kabir Shirgaonkar said. The official also said that his office had received an application from local traders who had expressed concern about possible overcrowding and traffic congestion, which could "cause inconvenience" to the weekly market. Former state advocate general and Congress MLA Carlos Ferreira has also called the cancellation of the rally "unconstitutional".

The Goa government has strongly protested the Central Water Commission's nod to Karnataka's detailed project report linked to the Kalasa-Banduri water diversion project along the Mahadayi river basin in the Southern state.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday had led a delegation of ruling legislators which met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to protest against the decision. After his meeting with Shah and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Shekhavat, Sawant said that the delegation had urged both the central ministers to withdraw the approval to Karnataka's DPR.

The issue is likely to be discussed during the upcoming session of the state assembly session scheduled to be held next week.