NH Times

Panaji, Jan 7: Accusing the opposition leader, Mr Manohar Parrikar of trying to derive publicity by making baseless allegations against him and the government, the Home Minister, Mr Ravi Naik challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party leader to prove that he ever reversed the order of the Director-General of Police, Mr Bhim Sen Bassi as regards to raids on drugs peddling at a recently concluded musical event.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday morning, Mr Naik said that there is no need for issuing an order to conduct raids and police officers, be they police sub-inspectors, police inspectors or deputy superintendent of police, could conduct raids without any order, even as he dared Mr Parrikar to prove his charge.

“If he proves his allegations I will resign as Home Minister, if not, he should resign as opposition leader,” he added.

Terming the recent statements by the opposition leader against the government and him as publicity stunts, the Home Minister went on to add that Mr Parrikar has been blurting out statistics while leveling charges against the government or his opponents to gain political mileage. He could use some other issues to get publicity he said adding that he should refrain from making baseless allegations. He also said that he would expose wrongdoings of Mr Parrikar at appropriate time.

Mr Naik questioned the silence of the Opposition leader on the issue of the Margao blast and the conspiracy of those behind it to create religious divide in the state, even as he said that BJP leadership has the habit of opposing everything that is being done in the interest of the state and its people. He said the Congress wants to take everybody along and develop the state.

The Home Minister said that it has become a habit to blame the police for everything and that nobody appeared to take cognizance of the good work done by them. He said that good performance by the police could be judged from the record seizure of drugs worth Rs 1.01 crore in 2009 and arrest of 24 persons involved in drug trafficking and recently concluded incident free festive season of Christmas and New Year.

Responding to a query on failure of the police to check drug supply at the recently concluded musical event, he said that it was not possible to screen everybody and in case the police had to do it they could have been accused of harassment of the tourists and the local people and attempting to harm the tourism industry.

As regards to Goa being dubbed as major transit point in drug trafficking by the Narcotics Control Bureau, he said that he was not aware of any such report. Responding to a query on the death of a tourist from Delhi due to drug overdose, he said the proper report was yet to be received and that the preliminary report indicated that she was on some strong medication.

Responding to a query on the reported charges leveled by the Calangute MLA, Mr Agnelo Fernandes, that drugs were sold at the musical event held in his village and his charges that police had failed to curb drug trade in the state despite complaints by him, Mr Naik said that he was not aware of any such charges by his party colleague.

The DGP denied Goa was a transit point of drug trafficking, even as he said that he was not aware from where the drugs were brought into the state, even as he said the state’s borders were porous. He further said that Goa and India has been victims of drug trade from the golden triangle and golden crescent.

Mr Bassi, however, went on to add that despite entry of drug into the state, Goa has relatively remained drug free and attributed this to the high literacy, motivated non-government organisations, good policing and small population of the state. He also said that it was difficult to trail the drug peddlers. He also said that NCB might have stated that Goa was a transit point without proper application of mind even as he said that nothing prevented the central agency of seizing drugs if they were abundantly available here.

Stating that most drug consumers were from other parts of the country or foreigners, he went on to add that they were also trying to push drug consumptions among the locals, especially in the coastal areas.  He said that drug consumption was not prevalent in Goa’s slums as is the case in other parts of the country but the little consumption that was there still remained a matter of concern for the police.

The DGP also said that parties were regularly held in Goa with permission but the police have been keeping vigil on them so as to ensure that drugs were not consumed.

Meanwhile, the Calangute MLA has denied that he ever said that drugs were sold at the musical event. “I never said that drugs were sold at the event,” he said adding that what he had said was that the drugs were sold during the rule of Mr Parrikar and that police failed to take action then. He said that the police have been doing a good job since the Congress came back to power in the state.