CEC: 'SDM's decision to stop public talk in Goa was wrong'

Herald, Goa, 27/05/07

CEC: 'SDM's decision to stop public talk was wrong'

By Herald Reporter

Panjim, May 26 - It's been clear now that the action of the SDM Margao and Returning Officer for the Margao constituency stopping a public talk on 'Communal Threats to Secular Democracy in India', which was scheduled on May 24 in Margao was not right.

The Chief Election Commissioner of India, N Gopalswami while addressing a press conference on Saturday here confirmed that action of the SDM Derrick Pereira Neto was uncalled for, when questioned why public talk by highly acclaimed social commentator Prof. Ram Puniyani was cancelled.

A letter was also addressed to the Election Commission by one citizen Shivanand Karapurkar apprehending social tension in view of the lecture.

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Sunaparant (Konkani), Panjim, 27/05/07

The lecture on communal unity and harmony by renowned IIT professor Ram Puniyani organised by NGO Citizens' Initiatives for Communal Harmony' was ordered stopped, giving the reason that it would create communal tension. The Chief Election Commissioner, N Gopalswami, admitted that the SDM had erred in preventing the lecture from taking place.

The Chief Electoral Officer, Ramesh Negi, when contacted on the matter, accepted that the SDM could have provided adequate security to ensure that the lecture took place, and that he erred in not doing so. But he opined that was not a serious mistake, and that there is no need for any action against the SDM.