AAP alleges vendetta politics by BJP in Goa

Panaji, Jun 20: The AAP has alleged "vendetta politics" by the Goa government after the party questioned Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar's move of reinstating his brother-in-law, who was suspended from GIDC for accepting bribe.

"On June 14, the Aam Aadmi Party had put the Chief Minister on notice regarding the reinstatement of his brother-in-law Ghanshyam Malvankar who was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh as Goa Industries Development Corporation field officer," party's Goa spokesman Rupesh Shinkre said here.

"AAP had questioned the transfer of ACB officials involved in the raid, and gave the CM a deadline of seven days to explain why the corrupt officer had not faced consequences of his action," he said.

"Instead of an explanation, the AAP received a notice dated June 17 served by Bardez Block Development Officer, demanding our presence during a site inspection at a Porvorim building in which the party has rented a flat," Shinkre said.

He said the name of Aam Aadmi Party was mentioned two times in the notice even though the letter was in reference to an alleged illegal construction by Sushma Agni and Sheela Bandekar, and has no connection with the party or the flat which the AAP has rented.

"AAP rejects this desperate attempt by the BJP-led government to drag the party into an unrelated, alleged illegality which the party has nothing to do with," he said.

The party also said that the timing of the notice was an obvious knee-jerk reaction by Parsekar in response to AAP's strong stand against his support of his brother-in-law's corrupt ways.

In typical BJP style, instead of a dignified response to AAP's demand, the CM is misusing government machinery to intimidate the party by making fictitious connections of the party with some illegality done by someone else, he said.

We dare the state government to go ahead and demolish the illegal construction instead of trying to drag the AAP into a controversy we have nothing to do with, Shinkre said.

AAP also reiterates its seven-day deadline to Parsekar to either take immediate action on his corrupt brother-in-law or resign as CM himself, he said.

The AAP spokesman added that the deadline ends tomorrow and the CM should be prepared to accept the consequences of his blatant support to corruption. Parsekar could not be reached for comments.

PTI