Kavlekar’s new strategy is to keep on right side of Parrikar

PANJIM: After having played the caste card it now appears, Leader of the Opposition and CLP leader, Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar whose properties were raided on Saturday, wants to avoid attacking the CM at any cost or attributing motives for the action, against him.

The Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, however, has made it clear that the ACB will have a free hand to investigate the cases, and no politician in any case “will get any additional benefit”. 

Babu Kavlekar’s close associates said, “The MLA doesn’t want to go against Parrikar and that is his strategy to handle the present crisis.”

There has been another internal fallout of the raids on Kavlekar. Party sources said that the CLP leader is unhappy with statements made by Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Chief Shantaram Naik against Manohar Parrikar and his government, for targeting him

Sources also said that Kavlekar had told Naik that he would fight his own battles and that he (Naik) should not to make any controversial and political statements regarding the FIR that was registered on Friday. He had categorically requested his party chief in Goa not to claim that that the FIR and raids were politically motivated. However, Naik, on Saturday had said, “The FIR against Kavlekar and the raids carried out at his premises are politically motivated and malicious and the same is being carried out with ulterior motive of compelling Congress MLAs to join BJP.” This has not gone down well with Kavlekar.

Both, Kavlekar and his wife had refrained from making any statement that could lend the episode a political colour though he played the caste card later, saying he was being targeted.

But he also said that the probe has been going on for a long time and ruled out any political intervention in the case. He stated to the media that he is ready to cooperate with the investigating agency and that he wants the case disposed as soon as possible.

An FIR was registered against Kavlekar last Friday in the disproportionate assets cases based on source information. Kavlekar was also aware that ACB was conducting the preliminary inquiry in the disproportionate assets case, while it was pending before Chief Secretary of Goa since March this year. Sources in the ACB have virtually ruled out any possibility of Kavlekar’s custodial interrogation, at this stage.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police of ACB Bosco George, who is supervising the investigation against Kavlekar, went on pre-planned leave for one month from last Saturday.  The immediate charge of ACB was handed over to Deputy Superintendent of Police Sucheta Desai.