Religious gatherings exempt from Section 144 :Goa CM

Panaji, Nov 8 (IANS) Religious gatherings would be exempted from section 144 CrPC, which has been imposed throughout the state, in view of the upcoming Supreme Court (SC) verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday.The Goa government administration late on Thursday, had imposed the prohibitory order, which bans assembly of five or more persons in public places, following a directive from the Union Home Ministry urging governments in the states and union territories to stay on alert, in anticipation of any law and order issues in the wake of the SC verdict."Religious events will be exempt," Sawant said, when reporters asked him about relaxation for upcoming Catholic prayer services popularly called Novena and upcoming "Tulsi Vivah" festivities.Section 144 will stay imposed in the coastal state for a month, according to the order issued by the state administration, as a result of which several mass protests organised by the Opposition, primarily the Congress party, over attempts made by Karnataka to divert water from the Mhadei river basin, have been put on hold.
--IANS maya/dpb