6,000 cops to keep SEZ protesters at bay in Goa
26 Dec 2007, 0248 hrs IST,TNN
PANAJI: Come what may, the Goa government will not allow any violence during the Christmas and New Year celebrations when lakhs of domestic and foreign tourists throng the coastal state, chief minister Digambar Kamat said on Monday.
To make his point, the Congress-led government has decided to invoke prohibitory orders and press into service 6,000 police personnel drawn from the India reserve battalion and Goa police.
The harried CM took an early flight from Mumbai to rush to Goa on his way back from Delhi where he had gone to attend a meeting on internal security. "Nobody will be allowed to take law and order in their hands," he said, adding that he had told the Centre of the protests against SEZs in Goa. Responding to Goa's Movement Against SEZs (GMAS) convener Mathany Saldanha's warning to tourists to leave Goa by December 28 as there could be violent protests against SEZs, Kamat said he was shocked to read such a statement by Mathany, a tourism minister.
Kamat said the words were totally against the spirit of hospitality for which Goa is known the world over. The government made it clear that it was not willing to take any chances when it came to protecting the reputation of Goa as a perfect holiday destination. "We do not want to take any chances," said home minister Ravi Naik, who was present at the press conference with tourism minister Micky Pacheco.
Meanwhile, the GMAS, that comprises some people's collectives and the opposition BJP, suffered cracks with state BJP president Shripad Naik distancing his party from the warning of possible violence during the growing movement against the SEZs.
Describing Mathany's statement as unwarranted, Kamat said: "I made a statement on December 19 that the government is seized with the problem of SEZs and no decision would be taken that went against the interests of the people. The SEZ issue will be resolved in January in the New Year."
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26 Dec 2007, 0248 hrs IST,TNN
PANAJI: Come what may, the Goa government will not allow any violence during the Christmas and New Year celebrations when lakhs of domestic and foreign tourists throng the coastal state, chief minister Digambar Kamat said on Monday.
To make his point, the Congress-led government has decided to invoke prohibitory orders and press into service 6,000 police personnel drawn from the India reserve battalion and Goa police.
The harried CM took an early flight from Mumbai to rush to Goa on his way back from Delhi where he had gone to attend a meeting on internal security. "Nobody will be allowed to take law and order in their hands," he said, adding that he had told the Centre of the protests against SEZs in Goa. Responding to Goa's Movement Against SEZs (GMAS) convener Mathany Saldanha's warning to tourists to leave Goa by December 28 as there could be violent protests against SEZs, Kamat said he was shocked to read such a statement by Mathany, a tourism minister.
Kamat said the words were totally against the spirit of hospitality for which Goa is known the world over. The government made it clear that it was not willing to take any chances when it came to protecting the reputation of Goa as a perfect holiday destination. "We do not want to take any chances," said home minister Ravi Naik, who was present at the press conference with tourism minister Micky Pacheco.
Meanwhile, the GMAS, that comprises some people's collectives and the opposition BJP, suffered cracks with state BJP president Shripad Naik distancing his party from the warning of possible violence during the growing movement against the SEZs.
Describing Mathany's statement as unwarranted, Kamat said: "I made a statement on December 19 that the government is seized with the problem of SEZs and no decision would be taken that went against the interests of the people. The SEZ issue will be resolved in January in the New Year."
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