PANAJI
A day after actor-activist Gaurav Bakshi apologised before the High Court of Bombay at Goa and was fined Rs 50,000 for allegedly circulating misinformation about the reduction of forest cover in the State, Bakshi has once again stirred controversy with a video on the Rama Kankonkar issue posted on social media.
In his latest Instagram post, Bakshi has linked Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte to the assault on activist Rama Kankonkar, terming the incident as “political” and connecting accused Zenito Cardozo to Khaunte.
“...Amongst those arrested, Zenito Cardozo, a known hitman and history-sheeter, allegedly linked to Tourism Minister Rohan Kaunte, ex-Chimbel Sarpanch Manisha Chopraekar and several other politicians... The assault was political, triggered by his questioning Rohan Khaunte over the Kapreshwar Devasthan issue and CM Pramod Sawant on the ST Portfolio being kept with Home Minister instead of Goa's four ST MLAs. Instead of protecting the victim, Goa police protected the powerful,” Bakshi is heard saying.
In the video, Bakshi also showed a True Copy stamped copy of Kankonkar's statement, claiming that during the assault on September 18, the assailants shouted, “You take our MLA's name? You want ST Portfolio? You want Kapreshwar?”
Bakshi, who met Kankonkar at the Goa Medical College on Sunday, October 5, claimed to have received first-hand shocking details of what he described as the “mockery of law and fake narratives” by the Goa government, police and a section of the media.
“According to Rama, he had no personal enmity with the attackers... SP North Rahul Gupta rushed to brief the media, calling the attack personal enmity, without even hearing Rama's statement,” Bakshi is heard saying.
He further criticised the Goa government’s “vote bank politics and election stunts” under the Mhaje Ghar Yojana, alleging that Goans are unsafe both inside and outside their homes.
“Rama's statement to the police clearly states, Home Minister, which we all know to be CM Pramod Sawant. Yet police never asked who the mastermind was. So here's the real question. Has CM Sawant been questioned? Has Porvorim MLA Rohan Kaunte been questioned? Or are alleged masterminds now investigating themselves? Voice yourself, Goa. Let's all come together to save Goa and get justice for Rama,” Bakshi said.
