Goa Police on Saturday evening detained a man for questioning after he allegedly displayed a “Free Umar Khalid” placard during a solidarity gathering at Azad Maidan in Panaji linked to the protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and marking the resignation of former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Police said the incident occurred around 7 p.m. as demonstrators assembled at Azad Maidan and raised slogans. Officers said one participant was carrying a placard reading, “Free Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Bhima Koregaon 16”.
A police officer, requesting anonymity, said, “Some local media persons confronted the man carrying the placard. The police personnel, who were stationed at Azad Maidan for the protest, questioned the man and asked him to produce an identity document (ID). The man said he was not carrying an ID.”
Police said the man was taken to Panaji Police Station for questioning to prevent any law-and-order situation. A purported video circulating on social media showed a police officer asking those present to produce identification documents.
Members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) later staged a sit-in outside the Panaji Police Station, demanding that police register a case against protesters who displayed “Free Umar Khalid” placards during the gathering.
The development follows protests earlier this week at Azad Maidan after BJP vice-president Narendra Sawaikar drew criticism over a social media post that said, “cockroaches are with termites”. In a post on X on Monday night, Sawaikar wrote: “Cockroaches with the termites! Save the nation!” Opposition parties criticised the remarks and called on the BJP leader to apologise for what they described as “disgraceful and dehumanising language” directed at participants in a solidarity march held in Panaji.
On Monday evening, hundreds of people gathered near Miramar Circle before holding a candlelight march to Azad Maidan in solidarity with protests by the CJP in New Delhi. On Tuesday night, Goa Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against “unknown supporters” of the CJP and other “protesters”, alleging unlawful assembly and organising the demonstration without prior permission from state authorities.
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