CM condemns attack on activists

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-10-15
PANAJI - The Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat has said that his government would take a well-studied decision on the demand for an impartial enquiry made by the Education Minister, Mr Atanasio Monserrate, as regards to the attack on social activist, Mr Aires Rodrigues, and charges of rape on the German girl, even as he condemned the attack on Mr Rodrigues.
Addressing reporters after holding an informal meeting with his cabinet and party colleagues late on Tuesday evening, the Chief Minister, who returned from national capital on Tuesday, said that he was yet to take stock of the incident and that he would seek brief from the Home Minister, Mr Ravi Naik and police top brass before taking the decision.
Asked whether he felt that law and order situation had deteriorated in the state, he said that the incident was a typical one that needed to be condemned, even as he added that this was not the first time that such an incident has taken place in the state and that there were similar incidents in the past also.
Mr Kamat while replying to another question on the charge made by the leader of Opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar, that his cabinet was made up of criminals said that perhaps Mr Parrikar has forgotten that some of the members of his cabinet (referred to by the opposition leader as criminals) were in his (Parrikar’s) cabinet also. The Chief Minister went on to say that perhaps Mr Parrikar thinks and wants the people to believe that as long as someone is associated with Bharatiya Janata Party the person is clean and the moment they join any other party they become criminals.
As regards to the compact disc released by Mr Parrikar on Tuesday, he said that the action of the opposition leader appeared to be an act of political frustration and that he did not need a certificate from the BJP leader to prove his stature and that people of Margao were all aware of his commitment to them and their well being. He admitted that the person referred by Mr Parrikar in the CD was part of 200 strong group that had gone along with him and his wife to Vishalgad in Maharashtra to pay obeisance at the dargah and the deity there. He also said that Moti Dongor has now become infamous because the people from there did not vote for BJP.
Mr Kamat also said that he also had photographs to prove that the same person had given rose flower to Mr Parrikar when he visited Moti Dongor as chief minister. “There cannot be two different laws for the similar act,” he said adding that he would release the photographs to prove that Mr Parrikar had received flowers from the same person.
Earlier, Mr Monserrate told reporters that he had come to meet the Chief Minister to apprise him of his position and charged the police of trying to defame him and his son in the case and that he had demanded with Mr Kamat that he should order an impartial enquiry into the whole episode.
“The police want to take revenge on me for having filed a case against them with the Central Bureau of Investigation,” he said adding that it was for the Chief Minister to decide as to what sort of enquiry he would order. He also alleged that it was a political conspiracy to defame him and his son by levelling charges against them. He also defended his son saying that he was ‘innocent.’ He further thanked the members of the cabinet for having stood by him.
Meanwhile, the All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Goa, Mr B K Hariprasad is likely to arrive in the state tomorrow in an apparent bid to help the local leadership to take appropriate decision and tide over the situation.