PANAJI

The Congress on Monday demanded the arrest of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s nephew for allegedly assaulting senior citizens protesting outside the venue where BJP President Amit Shah was addressing party’s booth workers on Sunday evening.
A statement issued by Goa Congress spokesperson Avinash Tavares on Monday said that the Chief Minister’s nephew Akhil allegedly assaulted senior citizens from Goa Suraksha Manch, a regional political party mentored by former Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar and created a law and order situation on a public road.
“We also demand immediate arrest of Akhil for assaulting senior citizens and creating law and order situation near the venue. Any other activist indulging in similar activity would have been sent behind bars immediately by Goa Police,” the Congress said.
On Sunday, soon after the meeting, Akhil Parrikar had filed a complaint at the Agacain police station accusing members of the Manch of trying to defame and malign Parrikar’s and his family’s image.
In the complaint, Akhil also alleged that the Manch’s members heckled him and his mother.
“The entire exercise was aimed solely towards defaming and maligning image of honourable Chief Minister of Goa, his family as well as Bharatiya Janata Party. This was systematically executed to disrupt the peaceful conduct of booth workers conclave and creating enmity,” Parrikar had said.
According to Hrudaynath Shirodkar, an office bearer of the manch who was also present when the fracas happened outside an indoor stadium near Panaji, a counter complaint has also been filed against Akhil Parrikar at the same police station, accusing the latter of alleged assault and abuse.
The Manch’s members were protesting Amit Shah’s statement during an election rally in Karnataka, where he had promised to divert water from the disputed Mhadei river to the Southern state within six months.