Sandeep Vazarkar was a BJP karyakarta for almost a decade and two weeks ago joined the Trinamool Congress Party after the saffron brigade gave an entry to his bete-noire Rohan Khaunte.
At the times when Rohan Khaunte had been attacked the BJP, be it during Laxmikant Parsekar tenure as the Chief Minister or Dr Pramod Sawant, Vazarkar has stood strong with BJP.
But soon after Vazarkar joined TMC, things changed dramatically.
The Serula Communidade and scam is nothing new and has been in the news since 2015, but, shockingly, the action is being initiated just before elections.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
The late night arrest of former Soccoro Sarpanch Sandeep Vazarkar, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has sent a clear cut message to the leaders in the party that would not be taken lightly.
Sandeep Vazarkar was a BJP karyakarta for almost a decade and two weeks ago joined the Trinamool Congress Party after the saffron brigade gave an entry to his bete-noire Rohan Khaunte.
At the times when Rohan Khaunte had been attacked the BJP, be it during Laxmikant Parsekar tenure as the Chief Minister or Dr Pramod Sawant, Vazarkar has stood strong with BJP.
But soon after Vazarkar joined TMC, things changed dramatically.
The Serula Communidade and scam is nothing new and has been in the news since 2015, but, shockingly, the action is being initiated just before elections.
It’s strange how the ruling party uses government machinery to suppress it’s opponents.
In the so called scam the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last year had laid their hands on “incriminating documents” related to the scam.
About three days ago, a team of ED raided premises of former Attorney of Comunidade of Serula Angelo C Lobo, his brother Reginaldo Lobo, former official of Comunidade of Serula Joseph D’Sa and its former clerk Rajesh Suhas Verenkar.
ED said the raid was conducted under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The accused are allegedly involved in the illegal allotment of plots as well as illegal acquisition of land belonging to Comunidade of Serula.
The ED’s money laundering case is based on FIRs registered by the Goa Crime Branch that alleges members of the managing committee of Comunidade of Serula were involved in illegal allotment of plots by fraudulently citing and using duplicate file numbers about files of offices of various administrators of Comunidades and gazette notifications of State government.
While everyone understands that there is to be a thorough probe in the scam in which names of top leaders is involved like former tourism minister Dilip Parulekar, the timing is questionable.
One may opine that this a direct warning to Dilop Paulekar, who is planning a revolt against the party after former Saligao MLA Jayesh Salgaocar’s induction.
Parulekar is planning to contest independent in Saligao and has already told this to his supporters in the constituency.
On the other hand this is also a warning to Minister Michael Lobo, who has been taking on his own party and government over several issues.
Michael Lobo is set to be in talks with Congress as BJP has refused to give a ticket to his wife in Siolim.
This arrest of Vazarkar is also an indicator to Michael of what is in store for him in case he goes against the diktats of the party.
Interestingly, Michael also has a few cases pending against him in the CRZ and some minor FIRs.
However, looking the things unfolding in recent times, it gives one enough hint that the party high command is in no mood to take any nonsense from any leaders.
BJP is always known to be play revenge politics. Right from the times of Manohar Parrikar they have done the same to Opposition leaders like Dayanand Narvekar, Churchill Alemao, and so also Digambar Kamat.
All in all, Go will see interesting devopments in next few days before Code of Conduct comes into force.
