It is a sad commentary on Goa’s political culture that the public must watch two leaders – pne very senior- from the same party, both of them elected representatives, hurl accusations of drug involvement at each other with complete impunity. Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar and former Pernem MLA Babu Azgaonkar have crossed every boundary of decency and responsibility by trading such grave allegations in public.
Goa has fought long and hard to free itself from the stranglehold of the narcotics trade. The state’s beautiful coastline, which once brought prosperity through tourism, has repeatedly been tainted by headlines of drug seizures, overdoses, and organised criminal networks.
When elected representatives themselves accuse each other of involvement in narcotics, it signals not only a crisis of leadership but a profound erosion of public trust in the entire political class.
What is even more disturbing is the complete silence from the BJP leadership and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
If these allegations are baseless, they are defamatory and must be condemned unequivocally. If there is any truth to them, the matter warrants immediate investigation.
Either way, the ruling party’s refusal to address the issue signals a troubling indifference.
Have we sunk so low that allegations of drug peddling or protection rackets are simply brushed aside as “routine political mudslinging”?
This is not a minor squabble about credit for a road or a water pipeline. This is about the lives and safety of Goan youth. The drug menace has already destroyed countless families, and the ease with which these accusations are made reflects a cavalier disregard for the real damage drugs have caused in our society.
The High Court should take suo motu cognisance of these statements and direct the police to register preliminary enquiries against both individuals.
If these claims are fabricated, the accusers must be held accountable for maligning their opponents and misleading the public. If not, they must be prosecuted without fear or favour. Law enforcement cannot pick and choose whom to investigate based on the colour of a party flag.
This episode also underscores a wider malaise—the normalisation of poisonous rhetoric in our political discourse.
When leaders freely level the most extreme allegations without evidence, it degrades the entire democratic process. Voters no longer know whom to believe or trust. Institutions are weakened when elected representatives think they can say anything and face no consequences.
The BJP owes the people of Goa an explanation. Is there any internal mechanism to examine such serious charges within the party? Is there any moral compass left that requires a public statement clarifying whether these leaders are fit to hold office? Or has politics become so cynical that the party will remain silent, hoping the scandal dies down with the next news cycle?
The Chief Minister must break his silence. When Goa’s reputation is being dragged through the mud by two of his own party’s prominent figures, inaction is complicity. Leadership means standing up and demanding accountability, not hiding behind vague statements or political expediency.
The people of Goa deserve better. They deserve leaders who debate policy, not trade slander. They deserve a government that treats the drug problem with the seriousness it deserves. And they deserve institutions that will step in when elected representatives behave in ways that undermine public trust.
For far too long, Goa’s politics has tolerated a culture of whispered rumours and wink-and-nod complicity over who profits from the narcotics trade.
Now, those whispers have spilt out into open, reckless accusations. This is the moment for every responsible institution, the courts, the Election Commission, the Anti-Narcotics Bureau, and the ruling party, to show whether they will defend the integrity of public life or let it be eroded beyond repair.
If no action is taken, it will be an admission that politics in Goa has truly lost its moral moorings. And that is a price too high for any society to pay.
