Tension prevailed at Calangute in North Goa on Tuesday after the local panchayat issued a notice to remove a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj installed recently in its jurisdiction.
Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira was restrained nearly for six hours by hundreds of protesters from leaving office and was asked to withdraw the notice. Heavy police force was deployed at the Panchayat office and the protection was given to Sequeira and other staff of the office by pulling down the shutter of the office.
Speaking to IANS, Sequeira said that the notice was issued by following procedure and discussing it in the office meeting.
“I am not against Shivaji Maharaj. I have studied chapters of Shivaji in Marathi school. But as per Supreme Court order statues can’t be installed on major district roads. But they installed it on June 3, 2023, so we were forced to issue a notice for its removal,” Sequeira said.
He said that the protestors had come to the panchayat office at 11.30 a.m. and left at around 5.45 p.m. only after he apologised to them for the notice.
“My intention was not to hurt anybody’s religious sentiments, but if anyone has been hurt, then I apologise. I have withdrawn the notice,” he said while coming out of the office in police protection.
Sources said that two vehicles were damaged in stone-pelting by agitators.
Though the notice was withdrawn after protesters turned down the request of police to disperse from the site, they (protesters) demanded that the Sarpanch should come out of the office and tender a public apology.
They dispersed from the area only after Sequeira apologised in front of them.
Protesters condemned issuance of the notice to remove the statue.
“We will not allow the authorities to remove the statue of Shivaji Maharaj. He is our inspiration,” they said.
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