Amit Shah's 'authorised' public meet at Goa airport draws controversy, Congress wants case to be filed

Panaji: The Congress on Monday demanded a case of trespass to be registered over an “authorised” public meeting BJP chief Amit Shah addressed in the prohibited area of Dabolim airport in Panaji on Saturday. [caption id=“attachment_3708189” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of BJP president Amit Shah. AP[/caption] Led by All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Girish Chodankar, Congress workers met the airport director BCH Negi to register their protest and later claimed the official admitted no permission had been granted for the event. “We asked the airport director to show us the permission (for the meeting) after which he admitted none was given. We have asked the Airports Authority to India to file a formal police complaint of trespass against the people concerned,” Chodankar said. The airport at Dabolim is inside the Naval air base, he said, adding holding such a meeting there raised questions about the security at the facility. Shah, who was on a two-day visit to Goa, allegedly held a meeting at the airport complex in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Union minister Sripad Naik. Social activist Aires Rodrigues has filed a complaint with the Union civil aviation ministry, Goa chief secretary and the state’s police chief, terming the meeting illegal and seeking registration of an FIR against Shah, the organisers of the event and all dignitaries present. The BJP, however, claimed the party had the necessary permission for the meeting which took place “not inside the facility as claimed”. “No inconvenience was caused to anyone and the meeting lasted only for seven minutes,” Goa’s Panchayati Raj Minister Mauvin Godinho had told reporters on Sunday after the complaint by Rodrigues. When reached for comments, Negi said he was on leave on Saturday and was looking into the matter.