Goa, Oct. 5 -- Social activist Rama Kankonkar, who was brutally assaulted near Caranzalem on September 18, has alleged that the attack on him was a result of his vocal stance on issues concerning the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community and his questions over the Khapreshwar Devasthan matter.

In a detailed statement recorded by the Panjim Police on Thursday, Kankonkar claimed that he was targeted because he questioned why the Scheduled Tribe portfolio and related issues were not handled by one of the State's four Scheduled Tribe MLAs.

"All the above incidents occurred only because of the issues and questions which I had raised," Kankonkar said in his statement.

Kankonkar said: "I prayed to God and took the names of Mallikarjun and Rakhandar ...