The government and politicos across the spectrum may have been facing the music over benefitting from RP21, but there is a strange corollary to the protests. Ministers and MLAs who were seething with anger and eagerly waiting to prove their innocence had held out pointed legal threats of defamation against Goencho Avaz and the activists behind the group.
Pandurang Madkaikar had stoutly defended that his property at Gaundaulim was under 2001 and that he never benefitted from RP 2021. Luizinho Faleiro claimed that the charges against him are highly defamatory since his property at Zug Island in Cavelossim was shown as settlement even in RP2001. Deepak Dhavalikar while threatening to file a defamation case said he had applied for conversion under RP 2021 but nothing happened since then. Glen Ticlo claimed innocence on the ground that his application for change of zone from orchard to settlement has not been effected till date. Margao MLA Digambar Kamat went a step ahead and organised a field trip for the media to visit his property in Agonda-Canacona. The Congress stalwart wanted to show journalists how green his piece of land is till date. Nuvem MLA threatened to quit office if proved guilty. He also squarely blamed the members of VLC, some of whom are now members of Goencho Avaz for allowing illegalities if any. Alina Saldana was spitting fire that her name was in the list of RP21 beneficiaries and threatened to file a defamation case if an apology was not forthcoming within the next 48 hours.
It’s been now a good 7 days since the names were announced and not a single person among those who had vented their ire and threatened to take legal recourse have walked the talk. Threats of retaliatory legal action have been used by various sections to fire-fight allegations. It is used as a tool to save face momentarily, and to take time off for manoeuvering. If there was substance behind the defence, these politicos could come on a common platform with proper documents and prove the allegations wrong and malicious.
While Goencho Avaz has taken these threats as ammunition to further their fight, it remains to be seen if it dents their resolve to come up with a further list of names as promised.
The five-member committee formed to probe complaints is a complete farce. If there are politicos named on a public platform with even the details of properties, what stops the panel from taking suo moto cognizance and initiating a probe? Have the members stopped in their tracks because there are big guns involved, with Vijai Sardesai as leader of the pack?
While there are threats to counter situations and then there are promises to keep, these cannot be used to deviously change goalposts. The highlight of a democracy is the right to free and fair debate.
