PANJIM: Leader of the Opposition Michael Lobo and TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane on Monday traded fresh verbal charges with the former alleging that Rane was launching a personal attack on him by targeting all his businesses.
Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of an event in the city, Lobo said that Rane is misusing his position to close down all my businesses. “Five of my restaurants have been issued notices by Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), whose officials have started stopping my clients from entering restaurants since Monday morning. I know he is planning to target the remaining 7-8 more restaurants owned by me,” Lobo said.
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Adding further Lobo said, “He (Rane) is doing this just to prove his High Command that he is the boss. We have been made to pay for the fight between Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Vishwajit Rane. He is going too personal. He is harassing us because we are in Opposition by misusing government servants. He is using government servants like slaves and behaves like a king.”
Alleging that the Minister is misusing his position, the Opposition Leader said that he will file a complaint against FDA officers for restraining their clientele from entering the restaurant.
“They (FDA officers) are telling our clientele that the restaurant is shut. They have no business in coming to our restaurant to say that. We have a valid FDA licence. We will move the court of law and we do will whatever need to be done,” he said.
Lobo’s wife Siolim MLA Deliala sought to know how suddenly their 25-year-old businesses became illegal after they moved to the Opposition. She said that they owned businesses much before her husband was elected as Zilla Panchayat (ZP) member and later MLA.
“Why this was not happening when Lobo was in the ruling party. We have one of the best restaurants in Anjuna. People have to do bookings there,” Deliala said weeping.
The couple met the Chief Minister on the sidelines of the event and brought to his notice how the Minister was misusing his position and using the government officers to harass them and requested him to intervene immediately.
Reacting to this, Rane said, “There will be a 360-degree exercise everything will be exposed. It is my humble submission to the Leader of the Opposition to be patient. I do sympathise with him and his party as they have established what they stand for in the country.”
Rane further said, “People who have committed illegalities are unable to face this transparency theory as wrongdoings are springing up. I strongly stand by the principles and values instilled in me by my party. I believe in total transparency and the citizens need to know what happened.”
