Police have detained two youths in Panaji for allegedly expressing support for jailed student activist Umar Khalid during a gathering held to celebrate the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, officials said.
Khalid is currently in jail in connection with a case related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
The incident took place on Saturday when a group gathered at Azad Maidan to celebrate Pradhan’s resignation, which came after protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party over the NEET paper leak issue.
During the gathering, a youth identified as Danish allegedly displayed a placard supporting Khalid. When questioned by the media, he said he backed the demand for Khalid’s release from prison.
A senior police officer at the protest site detained Danish after he allegedly refused to reveal his identity.
Following his detention, members of the group marched to the Police Headquarters demanding his release. Police later detained another person, Sudin Dalvi, after he allegedly expressed support for Khalid and misbehaved with mediapersons, an official said.
Police said a First Information Report (FIR) would be registered against both individuals.
Meanwhile, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) staged a protest outside the Panaji police station, demanding strict action against the two youths.
BJYM Goa president Tushar Kelkar urged police to register cases involving non-bailable offences, alleging that the two had supported an “anti-national”.
(With inputs from PTI)