PANAJI
Former Minister and senior BJP tribal leader Prakash Velip has filed a complaint against activist Sudeep Dalvi alleging that he insulted the ST community by commenting on a viral video clip of Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude where the latter airs his personal preference for branded clothes.
Velip, who was also formerly the chairperson of the Goa Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, filed the complaint at Ponda police station, in which he alleges Dalvi hurt the community by remarks on Gaude.
Gaude belongs to the Gawda community, a notified scheduled tribe.
“His comment on Facebook attracts Section 3 of the Atrocities Act (Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989). He has hurt sentiments of the ST community,” Velip said after he formally filed his complaint at the police station.
Last weekend (Saturday) the video clip in which Gaude speaks of his penchant for ‘Louis Philippe’ shirts went viral.
In the video, Gaude speaks of the pleasure he gets wearing Louis Philippe shirts. He also talks in the clip about “duplicate” (imitation) Louis Philippe shirts and how he ensures he wears the originals.
Dalvi had reacted to Gaude’s video by saying the Minister’s ancestors “got nothing to wear instead of a kashti (loin cloth), the joy of wearing it can never be understood by a Loui(s) Philippe wearer...”
Dalvi has deleted the post and apologised for it saying it was instantaneous and came from personal frustration due to losses of near and dear people to the Covid-19 pandemic.
