Politicians, activists want ‘insensitive and arrogant’ Sardinha to apologise to differently-abled beneficiary

Team Herald

MARGAO/PANJIM: The “insensitive and arrogant behaviour” of South Goa Member of Parliament (MP) Francisco Sardinha refusing to present a bike to a differently-abled beneficiary for arriving 10 minutes late at the venue has received State-wide condemnation from several political leaders and social activists. 

Priya Sule of Able Tree Foundation said, “I think it’s appalling that any representative of the State believes that he has the right to award punitive action to a person who is already under-privileged in so many other ways. What provision has this State made for people with disabilities to reach from one place to another at all, let alone ‘on time’? And who authorises Sardinha to deny someone an entitlement awarded by the State? This egotistical display was completely unnecessary.”

Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) president Avelino de Sa strongly condemned the insensitive and arrogant behaviour of MP Sardinha of humiliating a Person with Disability in public by denying him a scooter because he arrived late at the function. 

“We demand an apology from MP Sardinha and we demand that the scooter be handed over to the Person with Disability at his doorstep in Assolna within seven days failing which we will be forced to file a complaint for violation of Section 92 of Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2016 for humiliating Person with Disability,” D’Sa said. 

Goa Civic Action and Consumer Network (GOACAN) Coordinator Roland Martins said, “Since the scheme is meant for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), there should have been a sense of understanding. The beneficiary should have been given the bike the same day but there was no empathy. If you were in the shoes of the beneficiary what would you have felt? The government officials present for the function could have intervened and requested the MP to give the bike to the beneficiary. You have to empathise with such beneficiaries.”      

Lokacho Aadhar president Trajano D’Mello said that it was surprising that Sardinha, who is known to be very friendly in his attitude, could act in an inhuman manner that too after the beneficiary tried to explain the reason for arriving late at the function. The inhuman attitude of the MP towards Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) was uncalled for.   

Trajano asked, “Does Sardinha arrive for all his functions on time? He himself at many times was unpunctual for functions. I can say with confidence and it will be vouched by government officers that it was former Chief Minister late Dr Wilfred de Souza, who was punctual for functions,”   

The news story published on O Heraldo on Thursday’s editions went viral on social media.

Former MP Adv Narendra Sawaikar tweeted: “Being a disciplinarian does not empower to cause disrespect, that too to a Divyang. This callous attitude deserves condemnation. Don’t make the beneficiary suffer.” 

BJP State President Sandanand Shet Tanavade  said, “I condemn this heinous act by South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha and demand an unconditional apology from Sardinha and Congress party.” 

He requested the South Goa Collector to immediately hand over the MPLAD vehicle financed out of the public exchequer to the person. 

Anthony Barbosa, Vice-President of BJP ST Morcha, South Goa demanded an inquiry into the matter.  “The Human Rights Commission needs to take serious note of the attitude of the Congress MP,”  he stated. 

Barbosa said that it is an insult to all the persons with disabilities. 

“It shows the true culture of the Congress party, which always says that Congress is for the people, but here is a clear example of betrayal of physically disabled person, who came all the way from Assolna along with his family, with the hope of getting some relief for his betterment and upliftment,” he added. 

Jose Maria Miranda, a social activist, on a WhatsApp group stated that it is a really shameful act on the part of a senior Congress leader.

“This is totally unacceptable, especially because it was a person with disability. The Congress must condemn this behaviour,” he demanded. 

Coming down heavily on the South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha for his arrogance and insensitivity displayed during a public function, Velim MLA Cruz Silva demanded that Sardinha and the Congress party should apologise to the differently-abled beneficiary and deliver the bike at the beneficiary’s residence.

Rebuking Sardinha for publicly humiliating a differently-abled person for arriving 10 minutes late, Silva said, “Does an MP have no sensitivity to the struggles of differently-abled persons? This man had come all the way from Assolna to Margao, and to humiliate him and send him back empty-handed was an act of highest arrogance and malice. This function was to distribute benefits of a government scheme, and Sardinha had no right to act high-handedly as if he was giving some benefit out of his own pocket or from his party’s coffers.”

Silva attacked the Congress party as well, stating that this is the true culture of the party, and questioned why Sardinha is put on a pedestal by the party despite being ineffective, disloyal, and arrogant.

The AAP legislator demanded that should immediately apologise to the beneficiary and to all persons with disabilities for his arrogance and insensitivity. 

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We were mere 5 minutes late: Kin of differently-abled beneficiary 

MARGAO:  A day after South Goa Member of Parliament Francisco Sardinha refused to present a bike to a differently-abled beneficiary for arriving at the venue 10 minutes late, the close relatives of the recipient claimed that they were late only by 5 minutes. 

When O Heraldo contacted the relatives of the beneficiary, it was revealed that they had travelled to Margao by bus resulting in a delay in reaching the venue. 

“We travelled from Assolna to Margao by bus and later returned home empty-handed”, said a relative. 

It is learnt that a few close aides of the MP Sardinha on Thursday tried to defend the act by stating that the bike was handed over to the concerned beneficiary after the official programme. 

Hence, to seek a clarification, O Heraldo contacted the close relatives of the beneficiary wherein they categorically denied that the bike was handed to the beneficiary. They informed that the beneficiary was asked to come again on Sunday at Curtorim to collect his three-wheeler.