Team Herald
VASCO: Sancoale Sarpanch Ramakant Borkar claimed that he was not present when former South Goa ZP Chairperson Nelly Rodrigues was assaulted at Birla-Zuarinagar. He also alleged that Nelly was helping an NGO convert Birla-Zuarinagar residents from Hinduism to Christianity, which was the reason his panchas had visited her at the medical camp on Thursday.
Borkar was addressing a press conference in Vasco on Saturday to clarify that despite his absence during the assault, Nelly had dragged him into the case to malign his image. He also demanded an inquiry into the alleged conversion activities at Birla-Zuarinagar and claimed that over 2,000 poor slum dwellers had already been converted.
“I have enough to prove that I was not present at the time of the incident, which was incited by Rodrigues only for sympathy and political mileage in the area as she is aware that I will be a threat to her in the next Assembly elections,” said Borkar.
He continued, “On behalf of the Sancoale panchayat, I would also like to clarify that we have received several complaints about conversion activities taking place at Birla. Our inquiries revealed that Nelly has been actively supporting the NGO in its conversion activities, and the same NGO was part of the medical camp that was organized without permission from the panchayat or any other authority.”
Borkar added, “Over 2,000 slum dwellers have already been converted, and therefore, we have to take this issue seriously. We have called for a special panchayat meeting so that we can then make representations to the government seeking strict action against those involved in the conversion activities.”
Sancoale ZP member Mariano Gilbert Rodrigues also refuted the allegation that he was involved in assaulting people and manhandling Nelly. He stated, “People are witness to the incident, and we have proof that it was Nelly’s supporters who provoked the people to file a false complaint against us. Nobody assaulted Nelly or her son, and few were injured in a scuffle. Nelly has been doing this only to get political mileage.”
