Former Sarpanch refuses to apologise amid allegations
OLD GOA
The war of words between former sarpanch Marian Araujo and the ruling panel of Santa Cruz continued at the gram sabha on Sunday, with both parties leveling allegations against each other.
Initially, discontent was witnessed when former deputy sarpanch Domnic Pereira moved a proposal demanding that Araujo should apologize for bringing a bad name to the villagers through the media on the gambling issue.
“An MLA and print media tendered apology, and I demand that Araujo also do the same,” Pereira demanded.
However, Araujo said that he has done nothing wrong and that he won’t apologize.
Then, Pereira moved another proposal, again demanding an apology from Araujo over the complaint filed against the construction of Panchayat Ghar. However, Araujo again refused, stating that the panchayat should correct themselves over the points raised by him.
Later, the proposal was put to vote, wherein some villagers raised their hands in favor of an apology from Araujo. Araujo then said that that some people have been brought to the gram sabha to corner him.
This infuriated the ruling panel and their supporters, resulting in pandemonium for a while, after which Sarpanch Jennifer Oliveira declared that the gram sabha has ended.
Later, Araujo informed the reporters that outsiders were brought to the gram sabha to specifically target him, due to which he used a derogatory word against them.
“I did not use the word against the other villagers who were present at the gram sabha,” he added.
When questioned about the abrupt end of the gram sabha, Sarpanch Oliveira informed that after the derogatory word was used by Araujo, she ended the gram sabha. But, the sarpanch said that all proposals were taken up at the gram sabha, even as Araujo claimed that his proposals were not taken up.
