Def Expo: Goa church wing slams notices issued to agitators

A social arm of Goa church has taken a dim view of notices issued to those objecting to the Defence Expo scheduled in the state later this month.
"The right to peaceful dissent and opposition against various forms of injustice is a fundamental right under the Freedom of Expression under Article 19 of the Constitution and a fundamental duty as in Article 51-A," Council for Social Justice and Peace's executive secretary Fr Savio Fernandes said in a statement issued here.
"The unprecedented instances of abuse of state machinery and judiciary by the state and Union government in a bid to curb the secular, socialist and democratic spaces of citizens by concocting stories about possible threat to security and law and order is a matter of serious concern and absolutely deplorable," he said.

The Council has appealed to Goa government to adopt a path of dialogue with citizens and refrain from misusing state power to repress dissent from the people against destructive and wasteful development projects erasing the rich ecology of the state and threatening livelihood of the local people.
The notices were issued by the South Goa district administration yesterday to several protesters who have been holding demonstrations against the upcoming event, including local panch member Charles D'Silva, for agitating against the Expo to be held at Naqueri-Betul village, scheduled between March 28 and 31.
The issue was yesterday also raised on the floor of House by Congress legislator Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, who claimed that the government has "snatched democratic right of the people to agitate".

A section of people have been protesting against the DefExpo claiming that they were not taken into confidence while deciding the venue for the event.
With more than 977 companies and 46 countries registering for the upcoming Defence Expo scheduled in Goa, the Defence Ministry earlier said the event is steering the path of steady growth.