Team Herald
MARGAO: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar on Thursday said Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant in his statement blaming the girls and parents for rapes in Goa, has accepted his incompetence to protect the people in the State.
Chodankar demanded an apology from the Chief Minister for his remarks insulting women.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah must stop snooping and spying on women, heads of defence forces, constitutional authorities and start keeping an eye on the anti-socials and stop patronising criminal mafia which will help citizens to move around without fear.
Condemning the Chief Minister’s remark holding the girls and the parents responsible for the rapes taking place, Chodankar accused the BJP Government of failing to maintain law and order in the State. “There is a National Security Act imposed by this irresponsible Government in South Goa. The entire State is under curfew announced due to COVID pandemic. Despite the State being under so called surveillance; rapes, murders and dacoities continue almost on daily basis. The BJP government has converted Goa into a criminal destination by patronising the criminal mafia, drug mafia and beggar mafia,” he alleged.
“This is democratic India and every citizen has a fundamental right to move freely at any given time. It is a duty and responsibility of every government to protect its citizens. This shameless statement of the Chief Minister to blame the two young girls and their parents after the rape incident at Benaulim, exposes his failure to control the administration,” he charged. “The very fact that a government servant is involved in the rape incident exposes that there is absolutely no fear in the minds of anti-socials and criminals. There are reports that a senior minister and a senior BJP functionary are desperately trying to save one of the accused in the said rape case,” he alleged. “The Congress appeals to the Government to take strict action against all those involved in this crime. We will oppose any attempt to protect and safeguard any individual who is involved in this criminal act,” he warned.
