Police stop hunger strike over masjid management dispute

Margao: A hunger strike was abruptly ended by police on Thursday, minutes after it began, on the grounds that the protesters did not possess permission to conduct the protest.Kadar Shah, a Margao resident, was removed from his protest site near the mosque after he refused to obey police orders to vacate.

Shah was subsequently placed in a police van and taken away.The protest centred on allegations of irregularities in the management of Arab Saab Sunni Jamia Masjid in Malbhat, Margao. According to a letter Shah submitted to the South Goa SP on Jan 2, he sought permission for a “peaceful hunger march protest” at the mosque premises.Shah cited concerns about what he described as the “alleged illegal functioning of the present Jamia Masjid Committee” and claimed individuals “from Moti Dongor with criminal backgrounds” were interfering in the mosque’s management, causing “unrest, insecurity, and dissatisfaction among local worshippers and residents”.He also demanded to know why the authorities failed to address his complaints despite several written submissions.Incidentally, the protest was held metres away from the residence of Margao MLA Digambar Kamat. Moti Dongor is Kamat’s vote bank.Police justified their intervention, stating Shah did not obtain the necessary approvals to conduct the hunger strike and that it could have led to a law and order issue.