Was Afroz in Goa ?

Sandesh Prabhudesai
10 December 2001  

The locally ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has created a sensation here, alleging that Mohammed Afroz Abdul Razzak, arrested in Mumbai last week and allegedly having links with Al Qaeda, was in Goa for over a week.

Quoting a national newspaper report, local BJP chief Laxmikant Parsekar demanded to investigate into it and the links having been established by him in a tiny tourist state.

Following the state executive meeting on Sunday, he made this demand at a press conference, which was also attended by chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

"This is not an allegation but an observation to put the state machinery on alert", stated Parrikar today after the cabinet meeting. He admitted that the police have to ultimately probe into it.

Karnal Singh, the DIG of Police, however wonders on what basis Parsekar had made the statement. "We have neither such inputs nor there are enquiries from Mumbai police till date in this regard", he clarifies.

He however confirms another fact of the police having been received a complaint that provocative speeches were made in Quepem – a southern taluka – during namaz by some elements.

"However, when we put our special branch people on alert, we could not find anything to substantiate it", clarified Singh. There are reports in local media that some local Muslims had complained about speeches of seditious nature made recently during the namaz.

The chief minister also informed that he had personally received complaints in this regard from the local Muslim community, with a request to prohibit such elements from making such provocative speeches.

As there are also complaints of some suspicious people of foreign origin moving around in certain areas, Parrikar says he had instructed the state machinery to investigate every Pakistani or Bangla Deshi or any other suspicious character, irrespective of what religion he belongs to.

Soon after coming to power in November last year, Parrikar had ordered to survey all the foreign nationals settled in Goa. However, he says, it has not picked up due to lack of manpower. Rather than Asians, Goa is reportedly having many European settled here illegally.

"Right now they are just creating a record. But the action will not be in piece mail once the work is completed", states Parrikar. He also plans to deport all those foreign nationals, whose addresses are not verified in their respective countries from the counterparts.

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