log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) Instagram.com/thegoanonline Pg13 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9, 2024 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 112 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Remarks against St Xavier bid to fuel communal strife: Court SAYS ANTICIPATORY BAIL WOULD HAVE EMBOLDENED VELINGKAR K EY O B SERVATI O NS O F TH E CO U RT THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Additional Sessions Judge – I Bosco Roberts observed that former RSS chief Subhash Velingkar’s controversial remarks about the relics of St Francis Xavier were deliberate to incite communal tension. In its order dismissing the anticipatory bail application, the Court also noted that Velingkar had admitted to making the statements attributed to him. “The manner in which the applicant (Velingkar) has referred to the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier as a “dead body,” whose identity needed to be established from DNA analysis based purely on a conspiracy theory in a neighbouring country, without factual basis, in such a statement. Going by his track record of making statements IN SHORT >> Lightning strikes Margao church MARGAO: Lightning struck the Holy Spirit Church, Margao on Tuesday evening when the city was lashed by heavy showers accompanied by lightning and thunder. Sources said that the lightning struck the belfry tower, and the impact was so great that a huge stone came crashing down. >> See pg 2 Lifeguard tender: Just one bidder turns up PANAJI: The Goa Tourism Department, which floated a beach lifesaving tender worth around Rs 700 crore has run into rough weather after only one qualified bidder -- the existing operator Drishti Marine turned up for the pre-bid meeting held on Tuesday.  >> See pg 3 Over 100 houses may face axe in Cunchelim PANAJI: Over 100 illegal houses that have mushroomed on Comunidade and government land at Cunchelim earmarked for building a burial ground that would cater to different religious communities by the Urban Development Dept are likely to face axe. KTC’s e-bus service crosses 4-lakh users PANAJI: The e-bus service operated in the capital city and its periphery by the Stateowned Kadamba Transport Corporation is steadily gaining traction and popularity as a cheap conveyance option and nearly 5,000 travel daily on this convenient intra-city transport system on an average. >> See pg 3 2 scientists bag physics Nobel STOCKHOLM: John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton were awarded Nobel Prize in physics for discoveries and inventions that formed the building blocks of machine learning. This year’s winners have used tools from physics, a statement said. „„Velingkar did not deny the fact that he called for DNA analysis of the relics of St Xavier „„SFX is revered not only among the Roman Catholics but also by various communities living in harmony „„Velingkar ought to have known the consequences of his statements made in public „„Offense is made out against Velinkar as he has owned the statements made by him „„He should not have evaded police notices and instead joined the investigations when summoned „„No parallels should be drawn between case of Fr Bolmax and the statements made by Velingkar „„Transcript to HC claiming that St Francis Xavier was not “Goencho Saib”, clearly shows his deliberate intention to make malicious statements aimed at provoking religious disharmony and stoking communal tensions in the State,” the Judge observed. The judge also stated it was an undisputed fact, at this stage, that the saint is revered not just among the Roman Catholic community in Goa but also amongst the various communities living in harmony in Goa as well as outside. “The decennial exposition revealed that Fr Bolmax actually said Shivaji is not a God but a national hero. He also stated that we need to honour and respect Shivaji as he had done a lot of good „„HC found that Fr Bolmax’s statements were not insulting or an attempt to insult the religions or the religious beliefs of the other community of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier, over the years, has drawn a myriad of believers, who come with faith to venerate the relics from all over the world and not only from Goa or India or Sri Lanka. Under such circumstances, the applicant who claims to be a Public vehicles get deadline to install safety technology TRACKING DEVICES, PANIC BUTTONS MUST BY NOV-END THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Directorate of Transport issued directives on Tuesday to public service vehicle operators and vehicle location tracking device manufacturers, mandating that all public service vehicles be equipped with a functional vehicle location tracking device and one or more emergency buttons. The department has set a deadline of November 30 for compliance. In a public notice, Director Pravimal Abhishek stated that inspections revealed many vehicles either do not have these tracking devices and emergency buttons fitted or are non-functional. The department has also considered requests from various public service vehicle operators for additional time to fit or repair these devices and buttons. “An operator of a public service vehicle can purchase SAFETY FIRST „„An operator of a public service vehicle can purchase the vehicle location tracking device and emergency button from any vendor provided the device and button comply with AIS-140 standards „„Manufacturers, dealers who install these devices should update the device details against vehicle numbers on VAHAN portal the vehicle location tracking device and emergency button from any vendor provided that the device and button comply with AIS140 standards,” reads the notice. The department has further directed the VLT device manufacturer/OEM dealer/ authorized dealer to install these devices in public service vehicles and update the device details against vehicle numbers on VAHAN portal. “In order to facilitate the fitment and repair of the device and button, adequate time shall be provided till November 30, 2024. After this cut off date, the provision of a functional vehicle location tracking device and emergency button shall be mandatory for all public service vehicles and the same shall be checked at the time of fitness tests of such vehicles,” it stated. Tiger reserve decision based on rising numbers, NTCA tells SC Says Mhadei holds ‘significant potential’ THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI n a major setback to Goa government that has been dilly-dallying in declaring Mhadei wildlife sanctuary as tiger reserve, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) informed the Supreme Court that based on the estimate of tiger population, the State was requested to declare the protected area as tiger habitat. In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, NTCA said the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary held a "significant potential" for the range expansion of I tigers in Goa as well as in the northern Western Ghats. The Apex Court is hearing a petition filed by the Goa government challenging the Bombay High Court order dated July 24, 2023, directing the State to declare the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary and its surrounding areas as a tiger reserve within three months. The State had moved the highest bench in September, last year, while it is currently facing a contempt plea in the High Court. NTCA said that it is important to enhance the protection regime, create inviolate core areas, maintain a healthy prey population within the wildlife sanctuary for tigers and, ensure rivers are not dammed, and secure connectivity with neighbouring tiger-bearing areas by regulating land use patterns hostile to tiger conservation. “It is important to augment the ungulate population in the >Continued on P5 Iniesta announces retirement after stellar 22-year career BJP REFRAINS FROM COMMENTS ON VELINGKAR  >> See pg 3 historian, a teacher and undisputedly a member of the RSS and a political party Goa Suraksha Manch and, as such a responsible citizen, ought to have known the consequences of his statements made in public,” the Court further noted. The Judge, while dismissing his plea, stated that granting bail would embolden his actions, particularly given his failure to comply with police notices for investigation. “The sum and substance of the allegations against the applicant warranted the registration of the FIR under Section 299 BNS against him. He has amply demonstrated >Continued on P5 BJP nets hat-trick in Haryana; NC-Cong rides back in J&K SAINI LIKELY TO RETAIN CM POST, OMAR TO BE J&K CM NEW DELHI The BJP on Tuesday clinched a stunning hat-trick win in Haryana overcoming anti-incumbency and dashing Congress' hopes of a comeback while the National Conference-Congress combine pulled off a spectacular victory in maiden elections in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The BJP's decisive victory in the Haryana Assembly elections for which Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini gave credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi came as a big boost for the saffron party ahead of the crucial polls in Maharashtra, where along with its two allies it is bracing for a tough battle, and also in Jharkhand and Delhi. The BJP as well as the NC-Congress alliance got a comfortable majority in Haryana and J&K respectively where the Assemblies had an identical strength of 90. While Saini, the 54-year-old OBC leader who was made Cong doubts counting, EVMs in Haryana NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday said it cannot accept the Haryana Assembly polls verdict as there were “serious issues” about the integrity of the counting process and functioning of the EVMs in some districts, and asserted that it would take up the matter with the Election Commission. Alleging a conspiracy, the opposition party said that in Haryana “democracy had lost and establishment had won”. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the result of Haryana was unexpected and the party is assessing the public mandate. CM just six months ago to replace Manohar Lal Khattar in an unexpected appointment, is likely to retain his post, NC President Farooq Abdullah announced that his son and party leader Omar Abdullah will be the chief minister, a post he had held between 2009 and 2014. In a series of posts, Prime Minister Modi hailed BJP's performance in Haryana as a ''grand victory'', saying politics of development and good governance has won. He also complimented the NC for its ''commendable'' showing in J and K, and said he was proud of BJP's showing in the union territory. Modi later addressed BJP workers at the party headquarters in Delhi and said people of Haryana have stamped out falsehood and that polls in J& K were a victory for India's Constitution and democracy. He wished NC on its win and noted that the BJP was the largest party in terms of vote share.