The Opposition in Goa is stepping up pressure on the BJP-led coalition Government to sack Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, who on Friday was chargesheted in a 2009 rioting and trespass case.
Even as the Cabinet Minister himself is defiant refusing to resign from his position claiming that the crime was committed while he was discharging his duty as a public servant, deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza has remained non-committal for now.
The Aam Aadmi Party has demanded that Tawadkar, a legislator from the remote Poinguinim Assembly constituency resign within 15 days. “This is unacceptable. Tawadkar has to resign. We cannot have a chargesheeted Minister in the Cabinet. This Government should not encourage tainted Ministers,” AAP’s Sandesh Telekar told reporters in Panaji on Saturday.
On Friday, the Goa Police charge-sheeted Ramesh Tawadkar, Sports Minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition Government, along with seven others in connection with a rioting and trespass case at the Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary in South Goa in 2009.
The chargesheet was filed at the court of the Canacona Judicial Magistrate under Sections 143, 147, 451, 353, 224 and 225 read with Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Tawadkar, who is a Cabinet Minister was booked for barging into the office of a forest range officer (RFO) in Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, around 80 km from Panaji, and forcibly taking away two persons from the custody of the forest officials. The First Information Report was filed by RFO Paresh Parab.
Speaking to The Pioneer Ramesh Tawadkar has defended himself claiming the FIR was registered only after he tried to stop Parab from beating up two people in the forest office in Cotigao, located around 80 kms from Panaji.
“I was performing by duties as a public servant. I could not see the people being beaten up. That is why I intervened and tried to stop the assault,” Tawadkar said.
Asked whether he would resign because of the chargesheet, the cabinet minister said that the issue was not that “serious”. “It is not that serious a matter. Why should I resign,” Tawadkar said, even as Goa Forward, a regional party also demanded his resignation. When asked for a reaction deputy chief minister Francis D’Souza dismissed the demands for resignation made by the Opposition.
“Opposition has a right to demand anything. They have a right to say it. I have a right to reply. This will keep going on. This is election year, you have to understand,” D’Souza told The Pioneer.
D’Souza also said that there was a difference between the police filing a chargesheet and the court framing charges, adding that the latter was a serious development as compared to the former.
“You see a chargesheet has been filed, charge has not been framed. The court sees what the police has given to the court and then it frames charges. The accused has a right to argue before charge that there is no offence. So I feel seriousness will come only when charges are framed,” D’Souza said.