North Goa extends bans on Pramod Muthalik by 60 days

The North Goa district administration on Friday extended the ban on Mangalore-based Hindu outfit Sri Rama Sene chief Pramod Muthalik for 60 more days with effect from June 30.

"The step has been taken to prevent every possibility of disturbance to law and order and danger to public safety due to their aggressive statements or speeches that could hurt the sentiments of certain groups of the public and instigate violence, thus adversely affecting public peace and tranquility," the order issued by North Goa District Magistrate Nila Mohanan said.

According to the order, the associates of Muthalik have also been banned from entering Goa.

Muthalik's entry into the coastal state's North Goa district has been banned since 2014, after the rightwing Hindu activist said that he proposed to set up a branch of the Karnataka-based Sene in the state and that would work towards banning nightlife and pubs in the tourism-oriented state because they "ape western culture".

Muthalik has already challenged in the Supreme Court the ban on his entry to North Goa and last week, the apex court sought from the state government an explanation for the ban.

Muthalik and the Sene first hit infamy after they vandalised a pub in Karnataka's Mangalore city and assaulted young men and women at the outlet, claiming they were blindly aping western tradition.

--IANS

maya/nir/vt