NT Reporter
Mapusa
Aldona Congress MLA Carlos Ferreira criticised the Canacona police inspector and his team for stopping a planned Goa Forward Party (GFP) meeting in Gaondongorim during the Zilla Panchayat campaign, calling the action “completely illegal”. He also warned police officers “not to act beyond law”.
Ferreira said the Election Commission’s rules state that sound permission is not required for an indoor meeting.
“From what I gathered from the discussion in the video that circulated online is that there was an objection from the inspector that there was no sound permission taken for the meeting. I heard that they had permission to conduct the meeting. I was sure that something was wrong, and I thought the action of the inspector was incorrect,” said the MLA.
He said that Model Code of Conduct rules require only that parties inform the police and authorities concerned about the venue and timing of meetings to enable traffic and law-and-order arrangements.
“This means you do not have to seek permission from the Election Commission, you only have to inform the local police or other authorities concerned to make necessary arrangements for traffic and law and order,” he said.
Questioning the inspector’s intervention, he said “The meeting was being held in a hall. I don’t understand why permission was required and how the inspector could have come and stopped by saying you don’t have permission for a loudspeaker or sound system.”
Ferreira said the intervention appeared to be premeditated political interference.
