Panjim, November 3: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has launched a sharp attack on the Pramod Sawant-led BJP government, alleging a complete breakdown of law and order in Goa and accusing the state police of acting like “goons under political influence.”
Addressing a press conference, AAP National Spokesperson Valmiki Naik said Goa’s image as a peaceful and safe destination has been destroyed by the BJP government. “Goa is slipping into Gundaraj. Crime is on the rise across every taluka, and there is no fear of the law anymore. The BJP has turned the police into a tool of political control. From the Pernem firing case to the brutal custodial assault on Edberg Pereira, police officials are directly involved,” Naik said.
Naik further alleged that the BJP’s governance failure has brought shame to Goa at a national and international level. “The BJP has tarnished Goa’s image across India and abroad. Videos of bouncers attacking tourists in Anjuna have gone viral everywhere. Who will want to visit a Goa where tourists are beaten and locals live in fear?” he questioned, demanding Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s immediate resignation.
“The CM has lost control over law and order. The government is supposed to control the police, but today, the police only answer to political masters. Sawant must step down,” Naik asserted.
AAP Leader Sandesh Teleikar Dessai echoed similar sentiments, saying that “protectors have become attackers while the CM is busy with public events.” He accused the Sawant government of turning the police into a political instrument instead of protectors of citizens.
“The situation is out of control. People are afraid to approach the police. Instead of providing safety, they threaten citizens. This is not policing — it’s dictatorship in uniform,” Dessai said.
AAP listed several recent crimes reflecting what it described as Goa’s worsening law and order situation, including:
• Chain snatching near Rosary College, Navelim
• Murder in Pirna
• Tourist assault by bouncers in Anjuna
• Dacoity in Dona Paula
• Gun firing over a mining dispute in Pernem
• Custodial assault on Edberg Pereira in Navelim
• House thefts in Porvorim and Chinchinim
• Gang wars in Mungul and Panjim
Concluding the press briefing, Naik said, “Goa is no longer safe — not for locals, not for tourists. BJP’s so-called double-engine government has completely failed to protect Goans and the state’s reputation.”
— Aam Aadmi Party, Goa
