PANJIM, JULY 22
The Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar and the Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes were engaged in a war of the words over the latter’s comments on Tuesday that the government will be called of pimps and drug pushers if it does not act against prostitution and drug trade.
Referring the Agnelo’s comments on Tuesday, Parrikar in his speech during the discussion on demands for grants, stated that the use of such words like ‘pimps’ in the House is unacceptable. He felt MLAs should restrict themselves from using such words in the Assembly.
He said that such statements come because the MLAs do not get cabinet berth. ‘This problem is faced by every government even during my ministry this was a problem,’ he said.
Parrikar stated ‘If the Calangute MLA had any problem he could have gone and settled it with the chief minister in his office, why speak such words in the assembly.’
The Calangute MLA took exception to this and alleged that the Opposition leader had cast aspersions on him and that he was used to making such allegations. He said that the drug trade has been going on in the State from Parrikar’s regime.
‘I had informed Parrikar at that time that the prostitution and drug racket was on and take action but nothing was done,’ he said adding ‘may be Parrikar was getting benefit from it and hence did not want to act and therefore he was upset by my comments today.’
Taken a back with the charge, Parrikar said the Congress MLA was ‘using wrong language’. He said if he has made any derogatory remarks against the MLA, he can point it out and ‘if so I will correct myself’.
Fernandes said he had taken up the matter personally with Parrikar when he was the chief minister. ‘What did you do? You never stopped it’.
The former chief minister then alleged that Agnelo being the local MLA may have been benefiting more from the drug and prostitution trade as he knew what was happening in his constituency. ‘Being a local MLA he may be getting from those people.’ Denying the charge Fernandes said he had gone to the chief minister because he wanted trafficking to be eliminated.
