PANAJI
With the ease of availability of drugs once again coming into spotlight, has BJP's own accusations -- against the then Digambar Kamat government and Home Minister Ravi Naik -- come back to haunt them?
Former MGP MLA Lavoo Mamledar, who is himself a police officer who retired as a Deputy Superintendent of Police and had a stint in the Anti Narcotics Cell, certainly thinks so.
Speaking to The Goan, Mamledar who was part of the House Committee formed under the previous government tasked with probing
whether Ravi Naik and his son Roy Naik had any ‘nexus' with the drug mafia, has questioned why the BJP government refused to accept that report and why the BJP's own members refused to sign it.
"All the members of the committee attended the meetings and participated in the hearings. However, at the time of submitting the report to the House two BJP members Michael Lobo and Vishnu Wagh refused to sign it," Mamledar said.
While Lobo has defended not signing the report saying that it was "only political" Mamledar said that the BJP could have rejected the report to protect the Naiks.
"The report had clearly stated the involvement of Roy Naik in the ‘nexus'. However, the BJP which constituted the committee refused to accept it. Since then, between 2012 and 2016 the scale of recreational drug use in the state has grown manifold," Mamledar said.
Recalling his experience from his days with the police, Mamledar said the police, with the right kind of political support can bring to a complete stop drug peddling in the State.
"More often than not, the police know of drug peddling going on their areas, but they would need complete political backing which is lacking," Mamledar said.
"The same BJP which was shouting against the drug menace when in the opposition has failed to control it when they are in power," Mamledar said.
"All the members of the committee attended the meetings and participated in the hearings. However, at the time of submitting the report to the House two BJP members Michael Lobo and Vishnu Wagh refused to sign it," Mamledar said.
While Lobo has defended not signing the report saying that it was "only political" Mamledar said that the BJP could have rejected the report to protect the Naiks.
"The report had clearly stated the involvement of Roy Naik in the ‘nexus'. However, the BJP which constituted the committee refused to accept it. Since then, between 2012 and 2016 the scale of recreational drug use in the state has grown manifold," Mamledar said.
Recalling his experience from his days with the police, Mamledar said the police, with the right kind of political support can bring to a complete stop drug peddling in the State.
"More often than not, the police know of drug peddling going on their areas, but they would need complete political backing which is lacking," Mamledar said.
"The same BJP which was shouting against the drug menace when in the opposition has failed to control it when they are in power," Mamledar said.
