Subodh Kerkar dares CM to file FIR against him
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 07 February 2013 02:50 ISTGoa's renowned artist Subodh Kerkar has challenged chief minister Manohar Parrikar to file FIR and corruption charges against him in the issue of tendering a sculpture on a government building.
He has also charged that he is being targeted to silence the dissent and also because he is brother-in-law of Fatorda MLA Vijay Sardesai.
While speaking on a thanks giving motion to Governor's address in the Assembly, chief minister Manohar Parrikar had made a charge that Subodh Kerkar had filled false tenders with fictitious names to get a contract of a sculpture on a building of animal husbandry.
Parrikar had also said that an FIR would be filed against him.
In a press conference, Kerkar today denied the allegation while challenging the chief minister to file the FIR.
He admits that he had paid the money of two other tenderers through his bank account and there is nothing illegal in it.
Kerkar has also clarified that the other two tenderers are not fictitious but real ones and he could produced them before any court of law.
Kerkar however questions the system of inviting tenders when the government wants to buy a particular work of the artist.
"The system of tendering when you decide which particular art work to buy is ridiculous," states Kerkar.
As Parrikar has now made a provision to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation for a false complaint, Kerkar asks whether Parrikar would pay this amount when this complaint would be proved false and frivolous.
"I don't want that money. I will tell him to pay it to an orphanage of my choice", he said.
Kerkar has also written to the PWD chief engineer J S Rego to return his art work, which has been now removed from the building of animal husbandry.
When asked why he feels Parrikar has announced of filing FIR against him, Kerkar said perhaps the only reason could be to silence his voice of dissent as an artist and also because his political opponent and Fatorda MLA Vijay Sardesai is his brother-in-law.
Kerkar also asked why the chief minister, if so concerned about looting the government, has not a filed a single FIR against the mine owner to recover Rs 35,000 crore mentioned by Shah Commission.
a totalitarian govt always attack intellectuals first. Be it stalins russia, salazars goa or parrikars goa. Because they dont want people who can think on their own what is right and wrong. They want robotic dogs who will bark and bite others on command and lick the masters feet. Today internet is full of such goan characters who have sold their soul for some govt contract or jobs.
But the biggest mistry is what the educated people are doing? Where are the artist, doctors and engineers? Why there are no candle marches in support of subodh?