‘One got clean chit in riots, another lied to wriggle out’
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The Congress has said there is one similarity between the two Narendras – one has manipulated his way out of Gujarat riots and the other has manipulated his way out of the Balli riot case in which he was involved.
“There is one Narendra Modi who is projected as (future) PM and there is one Narendra Sawaikar contesting from South Goa. Both are RSS. There is another similarity. Modi though involved in Gujarat riots is given a clean chit, Sawaikar is also out of the Balli riot by manipulating the affidavit filed in the Court (in Goa) ruling out his involvement claiming he was passing by when the incident occurred,” Congress general secretary Pratima Coutinho told a press conference.
Coutinho expressed reservations at South Goa Sessions Court’s order discharging BJP’s South Goa Narendra Sawaikar in the May 25, 2011 Balli riots case, comparing him with BJP’s Narendra Modi, who was recently given a clean chit by Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team in the 2002 communal violence.
Asked whether the party doubts the Court verdict, Coutinho replied, “BJP has played their cards… They know how to get the work done being on the ruling side.” In December 2013, the court ordered framing of criminal charges against Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, UTAA Chief Prakash Velip, former Sanguem MLA Meng Gaonkar and six others but discharged Sawaikar and 11 others in the Balli riots for want of evidence. While the Gujarat court accepted a clean chit given to Modi in the 2002 case as the report mentioned there was no prosecutable evidence against him.
“This is a serious issue. This proved the double standard of the BJP,” Coutinho, Congress spokesperson alleged.
Meanwhile, the party also pointed out violation of code of conduct by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar when he was seen seeking votes from the minority community in Bicholim last weekend. A complaint in this regard will be filed before the Chief Electoral Officer on Tuesday, she informed, and asked
the Chief Electoral Officer Keshav Chandra not to act as BJP’s agent.
