Panaji: Large-scale protests erupted in Goa on Friday following the brutal assault on social activist Rama Kankonkar, a vocal critic of the BJP-led state government.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the office of the Director General of Police in Panaji, accusing the government and police of failing to uphold law and order. In the midst of the agitation, protesters vandalized the Bharatiya Janata Party’s office in the city and attempted to storm the premises.
Kankonkar was attacked in broad daylight on Thursday afternoon in the Karanjale area of Panaji by six men armed with wires and knives. CCTV footage shows the assailants repeatedly assaulting him as he cried for help, with one of them even recording the attack on his phone before fleeing on a two-wheeler.
North Goa SP Rahul Gupta confirmed that five of the six suspects, all with criminal backgrounds, were arrested within hours of the incident. A manhunt has been launched to trace the sixth attacker.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant condemned the attack and ordered a probe, assuring that such incidents would not be tolerated.
The assault has triggered widespread outrage, with opposition leaders and social activists visiting Kankonkar at Goa Medical College. Opposition Leader Yuri Alemayehu, Goa Forward chief Vijay Sardesai, and AAP president Amit Palekar were among those who expressed solidarity.
Kankonkar, known for his campaigns against alleged corruption, has long been a thorn in the side of the ruling dispensation, fueling suspicions over the motive behind the assault.