Goa Tourism Row: X User, Lawyer Write Open Letter To CM Sawant Over Complaint On 'False' Data

Lawyer and X user Ramanuj Mukherjee has responded after the Goa Tourism Department filed a police complaint accusing him of spreading "false data through his social media handles," which allegedly caused "annoyance to local businesses."

Mukherjee had previously posted on X, alleging a sharp decline in foreign tourists visiting Goa-a claim the state tourism department dismissed as "wildly inaccurate," reported the Hindustan Times.

Photo Credit: Pexels

In an open letter to Goa's Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the lawyer and CEO expressed frustration over what he described as a "frivolous complaint," yet said he would accept being made a "scapegoat" if it helped to address underlying issues.

"I remembered so many faces of Goan people I met when I lived there for a couple of years. This morning, I find myself feeling their sadness and anxiety. If you have a political necessity to find a scapegoat in me, that I conspired with some Chinese propaganda site to hurt Goan tourism, I am ready to suffer the consequences. But unfortunately, this will not solve any of your real problems. Maybe it will act like a temporary band aid to your feelings at best," he wrote in a detailed post on X.

Mukherjee further claimed that ministers within Pramod Sawant's government had made similar remarks to the media about a decline in tourist numbers this year.

"I am actually hopeful that this publicity wave will give you some political space necessary to make the changes you desperately need for Goan tourism surge again," he commented.

He recounted his own experiences of visiting Goa each year as a student, claiming that tourists now feel "cheated" in the city.

"Even if the data shared by me was incorrect, you must realise that the data itself did not make the post viral. This issue went viral because it led to an eruption of people's feelings. Tourists went to Goa and felt cheated. They spoke about their grievances," he added.

Encouraging the Chief Minister to address the core issues, Mukherjee stated that there are no quick fixes.

"Will you reform Goan tourism and make it take the next great leap? India deserves no less, Goa deserves no less. You have a lot of work to do, silencing critics on social media is not probably the most important thing right now. I rejoiced when you won your re-election. I am placing my faith in you to put things right."

Meanwhile, in a press release, the Goa Tourism Department asserted that the state's international tourism is steadily recovering.

"In 2023, foreign tourist arrivals rose to over 450,000, a significant increase from pandemic lows. Goa has experienced a robust resurgence in domestic tourism, with 2023 witnessing over 8 million domestic visitors," it said.

The department also argued that comparing Goa with countries like Sri Lanka might yield an "inaccurate perspective."