Goa Congress challenges BJP over mining scam allegations
Darpan News Desk IANS, 25 Aug, 2021 11:58 AM
Panaji, Aug 25 (IANS) If Congress leaders were really involved in the Goa mining scam, the BJP would have nailed them by using central enforcement agencies at their disposal, AICC Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Wednesday.
Rao also slammed Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for raking up 10-year-old allegations related to the mining scam in an attempt to put Congress leaders in the dock in pollbound Goa.
"After 10 years still they are making the same allegations, what happened to your IT (Income Tax), ED (Enforcement Directorate) CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), all those things? If anything wrong has happened, they should prove that wrong has been committed. Catch the culprits," Rao told reporters in Panaji.
"The CM simply makes allegations. You are not meant to make allegations, you are meant to investigate. You have the authority, you have the central government. Why is Mr Sawant simply making these statements?" Rao also said, claiming that Sawant's raking up of the mining scam allegation was only meant to divert the attention of the people of Goa ahead of the 2022 assembly polls.
Mining activity in Goa was banned by the apex court first in 2012, following the unearthing of a Rs 35,000 crore scam by a judicial commission appointed by the central government.
The Commission headed by Justice MB Shah had accused then Congress Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, top officials of the Goa government as well as mining magnates in the state of being allegedly involved in the scam. Kamat has however claimed innocence in the matter.
The findings of the Commission are being probed by the Special Investigation Team of the Goa Police for nearly a decade now.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who is currently on a three-day visit to India, on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries, including on counter-terrorism.
Nikki Haley, who is on a two-day visit to India, met Mr Satyarthi at the 'Mukti Ashram', a short-term rehabilitation home for rescued children in New Delhi to discuss children's rights, human rights and security matters, according to a statement by Kailash Satyarthi's office.
Top Indian-American lawmaker and right bodies have described as “troubling” the US Supreme Court’s decision to uphold President Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries and vowed to resist the “hatred”.
The troubled Jodhpur detainees are set to get much-needed relief, with Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh deciding to hand over cheques of the state’s share of the Rs 4.5-crore compensation to them on Thursday.
