Team Herald

MARGAO: Unapologetic South Goa Member of Parliament Francisco Sardinha indirectly admitted that he refused to hand over the bike to a concerned differently-abled beneficiary for arriving late at the venue and asked to come on Sunday to collect it.

Shockingly, he tried to create more confusion amongst the people on the issue by saying that the allotted bike has not been cancelled, whereas there is no mention about any cancellation in the news report published in O Heraldo.

Also, requests are coming in that the bike should be handed over to the beneficiary at his doorstep.

However, the South Goa District Collector office is yet to initiate the process on the request.

Speaking to the reporters at Vasco on the sidelines of a meeting pertaining to the Airport Advisory Committee, he went on to say that the beneficiary must learn to come on time, even though he may be a differently-abled person.

And reacting to his recent statement many have again charged him for showing disrespect to the specially abled person.

He said that the function to distribute bikes to differently-abled beneficiaries was at 10.30 am and he had a meeting at 11 am.

“Since the beneficiary came late, I said that I would hand over the bike on Sunday and did not cancel anything as reported. People, especially a beneficiary who may be a differently-abled person, must learn to come on time,” said Sardinha.

He also clarified that he is a disciplinarian. He doesn’t care about raking up politics over the issue. People know him for who he is.

“While there is no mention about cancellation of bike delivery in the report published on O Heraldo, it seems that the MP is trying to create more confusion amongst the people, instead of tendering an apology,” said Anthony Barbosa, Vice-President, BJP South Goa ST Morcha.

“It looks like the power has gone to the MP’s head and hence making irresponsible statements. Instead, he should have apologised and handed over the bike immediately and should not ask the beneficiary to come again on Sunday,” he said.

Anthony Silva along with social activists from Assolna on Friday reacted strongly and demanded an apology from the MP, besides asking to hand over the bike to the beneficiary at his doorstep.

“Asking the differently-abled beneficiary to go back for arriving late for the function is not acceptable. Doing charity on one side and insulting the beneficiary is not right. This should not be an act of an MP and a senior Congressman,” he said.

“The MP must apologise for his behaviour and handover the bike to the doorstep of the beneficiary. The person should not be asked to come at any other place to collect it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sadanand Shet Tanavade, BJP State President said that he is ready to offer a bike to the concerned differently-abled person if the MP fails to deliver.

“I have already requested the South Goa District Collector to handover the bike at the residence of the differently-abled beneficiary at the earliest,” he said.

South Goa Collector Aswin Chandru said, “Honourable MP South Goa has scheduled a event on Sunday and it will be handed over to the beneficiary then.”

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Congress tightlipped on Sardinha issue

PANJIM: Congress leaders were tightlipped and not willing to comment of Sardinha issue, when asked whether on humanitarian grounds what Sardinha did was right or wrong.

Aldona MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira said, “Sardinha is a senior politician and he has a style of speaking his mind. I don’t know the circumstances of what happened there but some vested interests are trying to malign Sardinha’s good name. “I need to know his version.”

Reacting to BJP State president Sadanand Shet Tanavade statement that he has asked the South Goa Collector to deliver the bike to the beneficiary at his residence, Ferreira said that it was shocking to see such brazen interference overriding and disrespecting the MP. “This is symptomatic of BJP interfering in the administration by backdoor,” he said.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Patkar said that he had already requested Sardinha to hand over the bike to the beneficiary at his residence. “But the MP has called the beneficiary on Sunday to deliver the bike,” he said.

Slamming Tanavade, the Congress president asked, “How can Tanavade say that he has asked the Collector to deliver the bike to the beneficiary’s residence? Who is he to interfere in MPLAD funds?”