Eight Years of Law-and-Order History Cannot Be Erased With One Sentence: Congress to Seek Official Records — Amarnath Panjikar”

Eight Years of Law-and-Order History Cannot Be Erased With One Sentence: Congress to Seek Official Records — Amarnath Panjikar”

Panaji, August 30, 2026:

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Media & Communication Department Chairman Amarnath Panjikar on Sunday  strongly challenged Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant’s statement that the recent Porvorim firing was the “first time in my eight-year tenure that such an incident has occurred,” terming the statement factually questionable and misleading.

The statement, in certain sections of the media  on August 30, 2026, is difficult to reconcile with the several shooting and firing incidents publicly reported in Goa over the years, including multiple incidents during the tenure of the present BJP Government.

“Eight years of law-and-order history cannot be erased with one sentence. The Chief Minister cannot make a sweeping statement about firearm incidents without accounting for the incidents that have taken place and been reported during his tenure,” said Panjikar.

Panjikar pointed to the following 06 publicly reported shooting/firing incidents since 2020
* 2020 — Santa Cruz Shoot-out
* 2021 — Fatorda/Ambaji Junction Shoot-out
* 2023 — Siolim Restaurant Shoot-out
* 2024 — Bethora Shoot-out
* 2025 — Mungul/Margao–Colva Road Shoot-out
* 2025 — Pernem/Naibag Firing
* 2026 — Porvorim/Majestic Pride Shoot-out

“These are incidents that have been reported publicly and cannot simply be wished away. Importantly, seven of these reported incidents fall within the period of the present BJP Government, including incidents” Amarna Panjikar said.

He stressed that the Congress is not presenting media reports as a substitute for official statistics.

“These are precisely the facts that need to be verified against the official records maintained by Goa Police. That is why Congress will approach the DGP Headquarters through the RTI Act. We want the Government’s own records to establish the truth.”

Panjikar announced that the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee will file an RTI application before the DGP Headquarters, Panjim, seeking the official records concerning firearm and shooting incidents in Goa during the relevant period.

“We will not depend on political claims, selective memory or newspaper reports. The official police record must speak for itself. Once we receive the records, the people of Goa will know the factual law-and-order history of the State,” he said.

“Protecting an ongoing investigation is important. But investigative confidentiality cannot be confused with the historical crime record of the State. There must be transparency regarding the overall law-and-order situation while respecting the integrity of individual investigations.”

Panjikar said the latest Porvorim incident has exposed serious concerns about the State’s law-and-order machinery.

“An armed attack taking place virtually at the doorstep of a police station is extremely serious. It raises questions about policing, intelligence, surveillance, illegal firearms and the growing confidence of criminals,” he said.

“The Government must explain how armed assailants could allegedly carry out such an attack in the vicinity of a police station instead of attempting to create an impression that firearm incidents are something new in Goa.”

Panjikar said the Chief Minister must clarify the exact scope of his statement.

“Does Dr. Pramod Sawant mean that the Porvorim incident is the first firearm-related shooting or firing incident of any kind during his eight-year tenure, or does he mean that it is the first incident of a particular nature? The distinction is important.”

“Because if the statement is understood to mean that there have been no such firearm-related incidents during his tenure, the publicly reported chronology raises serious questions. The official police records must now settle the matter.”

Let the DGP Records Speak

Panjikar said Congress will allow the official record to determine the facts.

“Congress is not rewriting history. We are asking the Government to account for it. Ten reported shooting and firing incidents since 2015, including several during the present Government’s tenure, cannot be erased by one statement.”

“The people of Goa deserve facts, transparency and accountability, not convenient narratives.”

“Eight years of law-and-order history cannot be erased with one sentence. Congress will seek the official records from the DGP Headquarters. Let the police records speak. Let the facts decide.”