PANAJI
In a sensational charge, state Congress president Girish Chodankar on Tuesday claimed that a cabinet minister (without disclosing the name) in the Goa government had sexually harassed a woman and also alleged that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was trying to destroy audio, video and Whatsapp chat evidence indicting the minister.Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Chodankar also gave the chief minister 15 days to sack the minister and take legal action against him or warned that the multi-media evidence would be made public ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Goa on December 19.
"A minister in the Goa government is involved in a sex scandal. By misusing his ministerial status, the minister has been sexually harassing a woman. When a minister misuses his status and his power in government and sexually exploits a woman, this is a serious issue," Chodankar told reporters.
Chodankar claimed that he was shown audio, video and Whatsapp chat-based evidence which allegedly indicted the minister, on two occasions by "responsible citizens", who had demanded the Opposition speak up on the issue.
"In the photos and video, the minister is seen in different compromising positions. And the manner in which he is speaking to a woman, he is not even fit to become an MLA. In the audio you can hear how after she is sexually exploited, the woman asks for her right and the minister says, 'I am a minister and I can do anything'. He even tells her to go for an abortion, but the woman refuses," Chodankar said.
The state Congress president also claimed that the Chief Minister was aware of the case as well as the evidence against the minister, but added that Sawant was using the Goa Police to destroy the evidence.
"I researched the issue and spoke to people close to the minister. There was a shocking revelation. The issue had reached the Chief Minister. The CM has seen the videos and audios. He has also seen the Whatsapp chats. CM has seen all the photos and I was surprised that when such material about a minister comes to the CM, he continues to protect him," Chodankar said.
"The CM does nothing. I was informed again, that the CM was going out of way and is trying to locate the evidence and destroy it. The minister has committed a sin and the CM has committed a greater sin. The Goa Police is being used to destroy the evidence," Chodankar said.
The state Congress president on Tuesday also gave a 15-day ultimatum to Sawant to drop the Minister from the cabinet and initiate legal action against him.
"You are a CM and a father. It was your responsibility to sack the minister right away and not protect him. You should sack this minister from the cabinet right away before Prime Minister arrives in Goa on December 19 or we may be forced to put the evidence in the public domain before the PM arrives in Goa," Chodankar said.
