TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Saying that the police treated him as if he was a terrorist, Konkani singer Francis de Tuem on Friday asserted that he had neither asked for birth certificates of anyone’s children nor had touched upon the personal lives of anyone at the Ravindra Bhavan.
Flanked by Konkani stage artists, Francis told the media that the allegation leveled against him that he had asked for the birth certificates was baseless.
“I compose songs based on newspaper reports. Songs directed at the corrupt politicians are based on media reports. I have never touched upon the personal lives of anyone nor I will do so in the future,” he said.
Saying that the police were quick to arrest and jail him on the basis of a complaint of extortion, Francis demanded to know the persons behind pressuring the police to treat him like a terrorist. “I would have voluntarily reported at the police station if intimated by the police. I have no criminal background, but the police treated me like a terrorists on the basis of a baseless complaint,” he rued, while disclosing plans to institute legal proceedings against those implicating him in the crime.
“I am surprised why this MLA is against me when I have not directed a single song against him in the last three years. I gave the speech at Ravindra Bhavan in reply to the statement made by the MLA on August 7 that a politician made tiatrists kneel down and also gave them food. But I did not ask for the birth certificate of someone’s children,” he said, adding that he would prove his innocence in the court of law, while reiterating that he had never stooped to personal levels in his career.
