PANAJI: There was almost near unanimity within the ruling Congress party that Sanatan Sanstha, which has been under cloud ever since the IED blast took place in Margao on Diwali ever, should be banned but some senior leaders felt that government should conduct a thorough probe and collect enough evidence to sustain the ban, if it was challenged before the law.

The Goa pradesh Congress committee president, Mr Subhash Shirodkar said: “Let the police and other agencies involved in investigating the case carry out a thorough probe and if links of those involved in the blast and the institution under suspicion was established then strictest possible action should be taken. The Power Minister, Mr Aleixo Sequeira said that nobody has the right to take law into one’s hand. He further said that it was even worse if law was taken into one’s hands under the guise of religion.
He further said that it was fortunate that the police could immediately detect the linkage between the blast and the Sanatan Sanstha; otherwise, “I believe everybody would have tried to point fingers at the “innocent” Muslims”. With prompt detection the communal harmony that prevailed in the state was maintained, he said.
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member, Mr Shantaram Naik, told The Navhind Times on Friday that before any exercise on banning Sanatan Sanstha was undertaken by the government the main office-bearers, directors, trustees, of the institution should be arrested and prosecuted under Sections 153A, 153B, 295A, 298, 383, 403, 415, 504 and other sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Responding to a question on what was his opinion on banning the organisation, Mr Naik said that banning of the institution was done under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. This act has recently been amended and has been made more stringent.
Mr Naik, however, said that priority of the government should be to direct the police to file criminal prosecutions against key figures working in the institution, based on the records available regarding violence and communal hatred preached by the institution openly.
He further said that if the activities of the institution were examined, with the help of their propaganda material, periodicals, newspapers and websites, the police machinery could easily file not less than 100 charge-sheets, based on their writings alone.
The Congress leader further said that evidence as regards to Margao blast might take some more time but the police need not wait for filing charge-sheets with respect to the offences already committed by the Sanatan Sanstha and its office bearers.
He also said the police have to investigate the present activities of Sanatan Sanstha, on the basis of the prima facie evidence available with respect to their dangerous activities and when they were ready with the evidence regarding Margao blast, they could file the charge-sheet to that regard.
He also said that thereafter the police and the investigation machinery have to study the judgments of the Supreme Court on the matter of banning association and proceed accordingly.
The president of Goa Pradesh Youth Congress, Mr Sankalp Amonkar said the organisation should be banned without delay as the links of those killed in blast and the organisation have already been established.