The protestors, however, declared that they would submit an intervention application in Subhash Velingkar's anticipatory bail plea, which is set for a hearing in the Panjim Sessions Court on Monday. The court has declined to grant temporary relief, deferring its ruling to the next hearing.
The demonstrators accused the police of neglecting to file a formal complaint under the sections they had mentioned in their complaint, and they demanded that Velingkar be arrested for his remarks regarding St Francis Xavier.
As the protests in Margão entered their third day in a row, a conspicuous police presence helped to keep the situation under control amidst uneasy calm. As demonstrators gradually gathered, officers brandishing lathes were posted close to Old Market Circle, warning them that they would face consequences if they tried to obstruct traffic.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had said that Pope Francis would be invited to the decennial exposition of St Francis Xavier. The Exposition of St Francis Xavier was to be treated as an international event. The 45 day event will be held from 24th November to 4th January. However the govt of Goa failed to make it possible for Pope Francis to visit Goa, during the exposition. On the contrary, the government of Goa seems to have been using St Francis as a means to deviate the minds of citizens of Goa from currently ongoing land related illigalities in the state, driven by the govt.
We have called off the protests at the request of the Church authorities, but our fight for the arrest of Subhash Velingkar will continuePratima Coutinho, activist
The demonstrators, who accused the authorities of trying to use force against peaceful, unarmed citizens, became irater when police in riot gear cordoned off the protesters.
Pratima denounced the government's attempts to deflect focus from urgent problems in the state and vowed that they would continue to fight against them.
There were also comparable demonstrations calling for Velingkar's arrest at the Loutolim and Chinchinim Junction.
In the interim, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JI-H)-Goa state president Asif Hussain urged Goans of all religious and cultural backgrounds to be on the lookout for attempts to sow discord and hatred among communities.
Hussain urged law enforcement to take strict measures in response to recent incidents that have offended religious sentiments. He did, however, stress the need for patience and to let the legal system handle these matters.
Hussain declared, ‘Let us combat the hate speech propagated by a few individuals using democratic, judicial, and peaceful means’