The statement attributed to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant suggesting that migrant labourers were responsible for 90 per-cent of the crimes that occur in Goa has landed the CM in a bit of a soup.
Apart from the criticism it has earned Sawant from political opponents, the statement has embarrassed his own Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the two states where the saffron party has dominated in terms of parliamentary seats won in the Modi era.
Sensing trouble, Sawant was quick to retract and latched on to the strategy of his mentor and predecessor, the late Manohar Parrikar -- taking an U-turn.
A day after a criminal complaint was filed against him by a JD(U) leader in Bihar, Sawant blinked and proffered an apology of sorts saying: “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. But if any leader or labourer from any State has been hurt, then I regret it.”
Sawant sought to explain that his Labour Day speech was in Konkani and was twisted by some leaders and it wasn’t meant to hurt anybody.
In his speech on May 1, the CM had cited alleged involvement of migrant labour in crime to underscore to enumerate them through cent per-cent coverage through labour cards which would also help in disbursing welfares scheme benefits.
