MARGAO

Addressing a press conference in Margao on Wednesday, state Congress president Girish Chodankar accused the BJP-led coalition government in Goa of being “communal”, after police, early on Christmas eve, stopped a traditional Christmas eve gala dance at Nuvem village, citing absence of permission.

Chodankar said that traditional dances and Christmas eve balls have been a common practice for generations and that it was for the first time that the police, allegedly on the instructions of TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai, had stopped an event like this.

” This was a communal act to stop a traditional dance on Christmas eve. Our party condemns this. Sardesai is responsible for pressurising the police and district administration to stop the event,” Chodankar said.

Chodankar said that the office of the South Goa District Collector had failed to give any reason for stopping the traditional ball.

However, Sardesai has rejected the charge and said that he had no role in the decision taken by the district administration to halt the dance.