Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Feb 22: Viresh Borkar, MLA of the Revolutionary Goans Party, was allegedly dragged out of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) office in Panaji by police on Saturday morning after he and several villagers staged an overnight protest against the conversion of village land into a settlement zone.
The legislator accused the police of manhandling him and submitted an application for breach of privilege against the officials concerned.
The protest was against the alleged conversion of 84,000 square metres of land in Palem-Siridao village in the St Andre assembly constituency in North Goa from a non-settlement zone to a settlement zone by the TCP department. Protesters claimed that provisions under Section 39-A of the Act were misused.
On Friday, nearly 100 villagers, mostly women, marched to the TCP office and stayed overnight demanding immediate revocation of the order.
On Saturday morning, police personnel entered the office premises and were seen lifting and escorting Borkar and others out of the building.
Terming the action unacceptable, Borkar said, “Being a legislator, I cannot be manhandled by the police as the assembly session has already been summoned by the Governor. No such action can be taken against me without the permission of the Speaker of the House.”
The state Assembly’s budget session is scheduled to begin on March 6.
Borkar said he spoke to the Speaker, who allegedly informed him that he had not been told in advance about the police action. The MLA later submitted a breach of privilege motion against the police officials for allegedly manhandling him.
Several leaders extended support to Borkar and joined the protest at Azad Maidan, including Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Venzy Viegas, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president Sunil Kawthankar and AAP’s former Goa chief Amit Palekar.
Borkar announced that he would launch an indefinite fast until the land use order is revoked.
Meanwhile, TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane refused to withdraw the order, stating that the government would not bow to pressure.
“Let them sleep in the office. We are not going to revoke it. They are blackmailers,” Rane told reporters in Sattari taluka on Saturday.