There is a precedent in the past of Minister’s being asked to resign without a police complaint
In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked his Minister MJ Akbar to resign after the #MeToo allegations.
In 1989, Dayanand Narvekar had to step down on public demand without any complaint
Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: On Wednesday, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant assured to act against the Minister, who is accused of being involved in an alleged sex scandal, provided a complaint is filed.
“I will sack the concerned minister, and that is 100 per cent provided a complaint is filed by the victim,” said CM Sawant
He further said that he was ready to take action against any minister if there was evidence and that he should at least name the person or the person against whom the atrocity was committed against, should at least come forward.
On the other hand, BJP State president Sadanand Shet Tanavade said that Girish Chodankar was making baseless personal accusations.
“I want to tell state Congress president Girish Chodankar not to make baseless personal accusations. He has made a big mistake. He should at least name the person,” Tanavade said.
While this is the reaction of the Chief Minister and the BJP State president, in the past, we have seen Prime Minister Narendra Modi lead by example, asking the Minister to resign.
Then union minister of state for external affairs M.J. Akbar resigned after multiple allegations of sexual harassment and molestation emerged against him.
In a statement, Akbar had said, “Since I have decided to seek justice in a court of law in my personal capacity, I deem it appropriate to step down from office and challenge the false accusations levied against me, also in a personal capacity. I have therefore tendered my resignation from the office of Minister of state for external affairs.”
Similar was the case in 1989 when Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Dayanand Narvekar stepped down even without a complaint.
Senior journalist Sandesh Prabhudesai says it is more of a political will required to act in such matters.
“Legal action and political will are two different things. In MeToo allegations PM Narendra Modi asked his Minister to step down. Here we do not see that political will. This also means Goan leaders are not following Modi,” he says.
Prabhudesai further says that if what Chodankar has alleged is right, CM and other leaders have seen the video and know the details, they must act.
“Even in the Narvekar case, there was an agitation but no police complaint, and finally, he had to resign,” he said.
He said that people’s anger was visible when Narvekar lost the subsequent elections.
Girish Chodankar’s allegations…
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar has alleged that a minister in the cabinet of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had misused his office and sexually exploited a woman.
He said about a month ago, two “responsible people” had brought evidence in the form of video, audio, and WhatsApp chats to show how the Minister sexually exploited the woman.
“It is out of decency and moral responsibility that we are not disclosing the name of the Minister yet. There are two families involved in the matter, that of the woman and the Minister, who are not at fault in this. We are giving the government 15 days to take action against the Minister. He should be sacked and booked for this offence. The ball is now in the court of Dr Pramod Sawant,” Chodankar said at the Congress House in Panaji. There are 12 ministers in the Goa government, of which 11 are men.
Chodankar also claimed that the incriminating videos and audio files were also shown to the Chief Minister, who went out of his way to protect this Minister and destroy the evidence.
“Someone has misused his power and sexually exploited a woman. This is most condemnable. The CM goes out of his way and tries to destroy evidence. The Minister commits this paap (sin) and the CM then commits a ‘maha-paap’. We have also highlighted cases of corruption in the past, but something like this cannot be condoned. I am pained to bring this to the people of Goa. He (CM) has misused the police too. How could we keep quiet? Why is the CM supporting something like this? The Minister should have been asked to resign, and if he didn’t, he should have been sacked, but the CM did nothing,” said Chodankar.
GOA’S SEX SCANDALS
Since liberation, Goa has seen two major sex scandals – the Narvekar sex scandal and the Babush Monseratte sex scandal. There is no minister named in the current one though the sex clip has gone viral.
Goemakrponn takes a look at the sex scandals of Goa in the past.
Narvekar & Sunita…
Sunita and Narvekar, then 39, were both from Mapusa.
Narvekar hired Sunita as a typist. Barely seven days after her appointment, Sunita fled the Speaker’s office (in the Secretariat Annexe) and found herself in the centre of a public drama that became a major election issue.
On August 9, Sunita and her mother met CM Pratapsingh Rane along with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) leader Ramakant Khalap and complained that Narvekar had molested Sunita in the Speaker’s Chamber.
Ever since, there was a barrage of charges and counter-charges, culminating in a joint, statewide opposition campaign demanding the dismissal and prosecution of Narvekar. Even non-political organisations like the Freedom Fighters’ Association, the All-Goa Students’ Union and the women’s group Bailancho Saad are backing the stir.
Finally, Narvekar had to resign on his won.
Babush Monseratte sex scandal…
Goa legislator Atanasio Monserrate, better known as Babush Monserrate, was arrested for allegedly buying and raping a minor girl.
The legislator was arrested by the Goa Police for allegedly buying the 16-year-old girl and raping her in March.
He was booked under Indian Penal Code sections 376 (rape), 328 (poisoning), 342 (wrongful confinement), 370 (A) (trafficking), provisions of Goa Children Act and Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.