After sex scandal, Congress throws bribe bomb at BJP

Release audio clip in which its Mandrem MLA Sopte is allegedly heard asking for donation from a bizman

THE GOAN NETWORK | DECEMBER 09, 2021, 12:27 AM IST

PANAJI
If one goes by the allegations of the “Sopte tax” levelled by state Congress President Girish Chodankar based on an audio clip, the ‘lagaan’ in the coastal constituency of Mandrem appears far more steeper than the ‘dugna lagaan’ imposed by the British in the fictional village in Bhuj, in Aamir Khan’s film ‘Lagaan’.

In the audio conversation allegedly featuring BJP legislator Dayanand Sopte, a businessman and another person (the latter two are unidentified) released by Chodankar, the person who the state Congress president has claimed is Sopte has allegedly demanded Rs 44 lakh as a donation for putting an end to the businessman’s harassment by local residents over the construction of 22 wooden cottages in Mandrem constituency.

Sopte has called the allegations baseless and has said that the audio clip is fake and doctored.

“This is how BJP MLAs are harassing people and extracting money. We hope that the Chief Minister and the BJP state president will take action in this case. This is a tendency prevalent in all BJP MLAs,” Chodankar told a press conference on Wednesday.

In the audio clip played by Chodankar at a press conference on Wednesday in the presence of Mandrem-based Congress leaders including Sangeeta Parab and Babi Bagkar, a businessman is heard pleading to what Chodankar claims is Sopte.

“I have a construction going on sir, we have not earned anything. We are from a farming background, so it is difficult for me to arrange for the money,” the businessman is heard saying.

The person who the Congress party president has claimed is Sopte then goes on to enquire about the business and then demands Rs 44 lakh in donation.

“You do your business. Do you have any relation in politics? When a person is in politics, we have to empty our pockets from morning to evening,” the person who the Congress has claimed is Sopte is heard saying in the audio clip.

During the negotiations, payment of an initial sum of Rs 3 lakh is also discussed.

“He is asking for Rs 3 lakh and demanding for Rs 44 lakh... People of Goa should see this. Whether it is a donation or not, the people and CM should decide. Can Rs 44 lakh be considered a donation?” Chodankar said.

When asked if the Congress would go to court with the audio evidence, Chodankar said that he had placed the video in the court of the people.

Responding to the release of the audio clip and the allegations levelled by Chodankar, Sopte has said: “Baseless allegations & fake, doctored audio clip by Girish Chodankar only mirrors the frustration of Goa Congress which is foreseeing a single-digit number in the next election. Girish has been on the spree of baseless allegations since the last 15 days which he does to grab attention”.

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