PANAJI: As opposition continues to mount pressure for a judicial probe into jobs for cash scam, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has defended the state government's action.
Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Giriraj Pai Vernekar said that the scam came to light only after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant took suo motu cognizance of the matter, initiated an investigation, and urged citizens to file complaints against the con men and women.
Vernekar appreciated the opposition's move to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention, stating that it is “good” to see the opposition trusted Prime Minister enough to appeal to him. However, he questioned their inconsistency, pointing out that they failed to support the judicial inquiry led by a retired High Court judge in the SIT probe into land grab cases.
Vernekar expressed confidence in the police, criticising the opposition for doubting their credibility. "The opposition demands a CBI inquiry into the jobs-for-cash scam, yet leaders like Rahul Gandhi criticize the CBI and Arvind Kejriwal opposes the Enforcement Directorate. Such parties should clarify their stance," he said.
Vernekar also accused the Congress of double standards, pointing to the arrest of the party's social media chairperson in a land-grabbing forgery case and alleging that a Congress leader from Canacona attempted to hide links to scams.
