CANACONA
The incident quickly took political centre-stage in Canacona taluka, with former Canacona MLA Vijay Poi Khot and his supporters rushing to the Canacona Police Station to demand the arrest of Tawadkar.
The complainant, Puno Velip of Cotigao, accused Tawadkar of restraining him at Tin Talya Gudkakle, Cotigao while he along with a pillion rider were proceeding on their motorbike to go to Canacona at about 9.15 am on Tuesday.
The complainant also accused Tawadkar of threatening him with dire consequences and trying to assault him.
Acting on the complaint, Canacona police registered an FIR against Tawadkar under Sections 341, 352, 506 (ii) IPC, with PSI Damodar Shirodkar investigating the matter under the direct supervision of Canacona PI Philomeno Costa.
Shortly after the incident is alleged to have taken place, Puno Velip approached Vijay Poi Khot and narrated the incident to him. Velip was reportedly then asked to approach Canacona police to submit a complaint against the minister.
Khot along with a large crowd of supporters then went to the police station and demanded immediate arrest of the minister for attempted assault.
Incidentally, WhatsApp messages were also circulated that a supporter of Poi Khot from Cotigao had been targetted by the minister and that, people should assemble at the police station to show solidarity to Poi Khot and his supporter from Cotigao.
It is learnt that Puno Velip was one of those people from the ST community who called on the ex-Canacona MLA at his residence to show solidarity with Khot at the next assembly elections.
Khot’s supporters were heard shouting at the police station that the minister had begun taking revenge. Tawadkar reacts Unfazed over the FIR registered by Canacona police against him, Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar claimed that the FIR was the handiwork of his detractors who have no issues to counter him politically.
Speaking to media persons, Tawadkar said: “It seems my detractors are bankrupt of ideas to show me in bad light. In Canacona, we know who are accustomed to dadagiri and goondagiri. This is election time and everyone is getting into election mood. Such complaints and allegations are bound to happen, but we in politics have always played it in a cool and calm manner.”
Narrating the incident involving Puno Velip, Tawadkar added, “Puno Velip is the parent of two students in our residential school. We know each other personally. I did meet him on Tuesday morning while I was going to Cotigao.”
“I asked the driver to stop my car, when I saw him on the motorcycle in the opposite direction. I told him that I was aware of some problems regarding his children in our school. I then told him that I wanted to go to his residence and meet them all along with his children and other family members and discuss the problems.”
“I also told him that I had come to know what he had spoken about me and against me at Poi Khot’s residence. This must have upset him and had led him to go to Poi Khot, who in turn, persuaded him to file a complaint against me.”
“People in Canacona know me and attitude towards others. The allegations that I was abusive and had threatened someone, which my opponents are putting into the mouth of the complainant will neither hold good nor scare me in any way,” Tawadkar added.
Canacona BJP Block President Mahesh Naik, who was along with Tawadkar, said infighting, dadagiri and goondagiri had not been witnessed in Canacona constituency since the last five years. “Why this instigation and why are these allegations being made now,” asked Naik.
