How far up the govt ladder does the taint travel?

Team Herald

PANJIM: The arrest of former BJP functionary Shruti Prabhugaonkar on Tuesday in the cash-for-jobs scam has put the spotlight firmly on the ruling party, as well as the government, which is fighting allegations that shady operators lower down the hierarchy have been working below the radar to dupe job seekers with false promises.

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It is thus clearly hoping to delink the alleged scamsters, who are claiming to be victims, from any of their top brass in government or the party.

The question now doing the rounds is, how far up the government’s ladder – or the party’s – does the taint travel?

Before Prabhugaonkar, Parag Raikar, who contested the Margao municipal elections in 2021 with the BJP’s support, had also been taken into custody.

On Wednesday, Opposition parties kept the heat on the government, with both the Congress and AAP demanding a judicial commission to probe the scandal that is getting bigger by the day. An AAP delegation met Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai with their demand.

The BJP has been fending off the allegations of systemic compromise by claiming that none of the persons named in the scam are currently part of the party. Chief minister Pramod Sawant has gone so far as to say that properties of the culprits would be seized and efforts will be made to return the money paid by the victims.

But close to a month after the scandal broke and the investigation began, police have not been able to trace the crores that were allegedly taken by the scam masterminds.

Speaking to O Heraldo, activist Swapnesh Sherlekar said, “The only objective of the BJP government is to do fire-fighting and put an end to the matter. Statements are changing now and appeals are being made to the people to file complaints. When BJP was in the Opposition, they brought corruption allegations against the then Congress government. Today the tables have turned, the only similarity being that those who were ministers in the Congress regime are now ministers in the BJP government. Only the label has changed but the syllabus is the same.”

According to advocate Shailesh Gawas, the accused have no fear of the police. “The cheaters are openly taking the names of ministers. They used job aspirants’ money to create assets for themselves.”

BJP spokesperson Yatish Naik said, “You cannot hold the party responsible if some party member at some point of time is found to be involved in a crime. The first FIR in cash-for-jobs scam was registered on the insistence of the Chief Minister, who is also very clear that the investigation has to go to the root of it. After the first FIR, people who were duped got the confidence to come forward to file their complaints. More FIRs have been registered, more arrests have been made and properties of the accused have been attached.”

In a press conference on Tuesday, BJP general secretary Narendra Sawaikar had played down the entire controversy, saying, “What is important is that action has been taken against these fraudsters. Police are investigating and their report will prove if any of the accused had links with ministers.”