MARGAO, JUNE 16
The Congress appears to have decided not to join issue over remarks by NCP spokesman that party bigwigs from South Goa were targeting Benaulim Legislator Mickky Pacheco.
While Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat feigned ignorance about any such allegations made by the NCP leaders, PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao firmly denied the allegations.
“I don’t know whether the NCP has charged Congress politicians from South for targeting Pacheco. They (NCP) leaders had met me on Tuesday, but there were no complaints from any quarters”, the Chief Minister said.
But, when his attention was drawn to remarks made by NCP spokesman Avinash Bhonsale, the Chief Minister said he will check up with the NCP leaders for blaming Congress leaders for Pacheco’s woes. “Only when I check up with the NCP will I offer my comments on the issue”, Kamat quipped.
Meanwhile, the PWD Minister has strongly denied the allegations that Congress leaders from South Goa are targeting the former Tourism Minister. “Where is the question of Congress leaders targeting Pacheco? No Congress leader, either from South Goa or from the North is targeting Pacheco. The allegations are baseless”, Alemao said and added that the law will take its own course.
Pacheco bete noire and Power Minister, Aleixo Sequeira – against whom Pacheco had disclosed plans to contest in the next Assembly polls – was unavailable for comment.
Meanwhile, Bailancho Ekvott President Auda Viegas has taken strong objections to the Avinash Bhonsale’s remarks comparing Sita’s Agni Pariksha to Pacheco.
“Sita was taken away by Ravana. She did not indulge in anti-social activities. Sita went through Agni Pariksha to prove her purity, fidelity and innocence. Here the issue is not politics, but the death of a young, strong and beautiful person”, Viegas said.
She has demanded that the government appoint an independent public prosecutor of this case, saying that Mickky Pacheco has resigned as a Minister, but is still an MLA and continues to be a part of the government.
“The mother of Nadia has not only made contradictory statements, but is allegedly responsible for the disappearance and destruction of important documents, which would help the police to put in place certain material facts”, she said, and disclosed plans to convene a meeting to demand justice for deceased Nadia.
