Personal allegations fly as Bhivshet faces revolt; councillors demand his resignation
WAR OF WORDS: Mapusa councillor Sainath Raul and Vice Chairperson Prakash Bhivshet in a heated exchange during last week’s council meeting.
MAPUSA
A stormy meeting of the Mapusa Municipal Council last week laid bare deep fissures within the ruling establishment, with councillors launching a blunt and coordinated attack on Vice Chairperson Prakash Bhivshet for allegedly overstepping his authority and interfering in the council’s functioning.
What began as a routine ordinary meeting quickly spiralled into an acrimonious face-off, with even members of the ruling group turning on Bhivshet. Councillor Sainath Raul led the charge, accusing the vice chairperson of “running the council from behind the chair” and pressuring both the chairperson and staff to alter the officially recorded minutes of the previous meeting.
“This is not a clerical correction – this is a deliberate attempt to manipulate records. The vice chairperson has no business directing what goes into the minutes,” Raul said, visibly agitated.
He went a step further, making personal allegations against Bhivshet and questioning his conduct outside the council as well.
The attack did not remain confined to the ruling benches. Opposition councillor Komal D’Souza joined in, calling the leadership “ineffective and compromised.”
“Both the chairperson and the vice chairperson have failed to uphold basic governance standards. If minutes of meetings cannot be trusted, what credibility does this council have?” she asked.
Chairperson Priya Mishal also found herself in the line of fire, with multiple councillors accusing her of yielding to Bhivshet’s influence.
“The chair appears to be dancing to the vice chairperson’s tunes. That undermines the sanctity of this institution,” one councillor remarked.
Councillor Shashank Narvekar pointed out what he described as a stark contradiction in Bhivshet’s conduct.
“When he held no office, he would nitpick over minor errors in notices. Today, the same person is allegedly asking staff to tamper with official minutes. This is unacceptable and unethical,” Narvekar said.
Adding to the chorus, councillor Tarak Arolkar demanded immediate corrective action.
“Any attempt to doctor official records must be reversed without delay. Accountability cannot be selective,” he asserted.
Sources present at the meeting said council staff appeared uncomfortable as the allegations flew, with the issue of “manipulated minutes” becoming the flashpoint of the session.
The controversy has raised serious concerns about procedural integrity within the council.
By the end of the meeting, several councillors – cutting across party lines – demanded Bhivshet’s resignation, arguing that his continuation in office would erode public trust further.
“This is not just about one meeting’s minutes. It is about the integrity of the entire decision-making process,” a senior councillor said, summing up the mood.
