Team Herald
PANJIM: Defending BJP’s silence on charges of corruption against Pramod Sawant government by the State Opposition and former Governor of Goa, Satyapal Malik, party’s Goa unit spokesperson Giriraj Pai Vernekar on Monday said, “never wrestle with a pig, because you both get dirty and the pig actually enjoys it”.
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“The Congress is in complete disintegration which has forced them to make personal attacks. Increasing popularity of CM Sawant has forced the Opposition to take these kinds of desperate steps. Opposition and Congress is silent on the sextortion case,” Vernekar said.
“Never wrestle with a pig, because you both get dirty and the pig actually enjoys it. There is a need to ignore some of the criticism, but if the Opposition continues to make personal attacks then we will explore all possibilities,” he said.
Vernekar, along with BJP MLAs Subhash Phal Dessai, Sankalp Amonkar and Kedar Naik rejected the allegations of involvement of the Goa government in the cash-for-jobs scam in a press conference.
They said that there is a constant effort to malign the image of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and create a perception that the government is not working for the people and also criticised the opposition for attempting to divert attention from the recent scandal involving a Congress MLA.
Speaking at the media briefing, Minister of Social Welfare, Subhash Phal Dessai said, “It is the Chief Minister who took the first step to get the lady arrested, who was involved in the cash for job scam first. The Opposition has criticised without any proof to substantiate the accusation.”
Hitting out at former Governor Satyapal Malik, Phal Dessai for his corruption allegations against the chief minister, “If he had proof, why didn’t he order an investigation? We know the credibility of Satyapal Malik,” he said.
Malik’s ‘actions’ after he was transferred out of Goa showed that he was never fit for the post of the Governor, in the first place, said Phal Dessai.
Responding to the allegations by the Opposition that the BJP is trying to divert attention from job scam case, MLA Amonkar said, “Government understands that this is an important case and it is the Opposition that is trying to divert the attention from their losses in Maharashtra and Haryana and also the ‘sextortion’ case,” he said.
While speaking on the ‘sextortion’ case, Vernekar said, “Why is Carlos (Aldona MLA) hiding? My main question is why is he quiet? Is this an extortion scandal or a relationship gone sour?” he asked.
