The Director General of Police (DGP) in Goa, Aditya Arya today said that he would have ordered a police firing on the tribals, who held agitations in Balli village on May 25.
The statement immediately sparked off a controversy in the State, with the tribal leaders saying that the DGP’s views show how biased the government machinery is towards the tribals fighting for their rights.
Two tribal leaders were burnt to death during the agitation at Balli village, 60 kms away from here in May.
Mr. Arya, who participated in the seminar on human rights in the presence of former National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman Justice J S Verma said that had he been at the protest site in Balli, he would have ordered a firing to placate the protesters.
“The leaders had lost control of the agitation. Several vehicles were burnt by the mob... Had I been there, I would have ordered fire,” he said responding to a question during the interaction.
The magisterial inquiry conducted into the Balli incident had said that the police remained silent spectators, as both the leaders were set on fire.
However, DGP’s comments evoked a strong reaction from the United Tribals Associations Alliance (UTAA), which had spearheaded the agitation.
UTAA President Prakash Velip said that the DGP’s reaction shows how police were biased towards the tribals, who were democratically protesting on the streets.
“With such statements, the DGP is trying to provoke us into violence. Strictest of action should be taken against him,” he said.
Mr. Velip, a former BJP minister, said that police were not interested in investigating the culprits behind the killings of tribal leaders.
