Hegde statement wrong, but Dawood could enter Goa: CM
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 26 March 2013 18:37 IST
Chief minister Manohar Parrikar has shot back to Justice Santosh Hegde regarding his Dawood Ibrahim statement, stating that he should study the mining scene of Goa here before comparing all the mining-dependent people to Dawood gang.
Parrikar himself however said the underworld of Dawood would have reached Goa if the illegal mining had continued in Goa in a similar manner.
Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral had moved a calling attention motion regarding Justice Hegde’s recent statement.
Justice Hegde had objected to financial doles being offered by the government to the mining dependent people while comparing it to giving financial assistance to those who worked with Dawood Ibrahim if he is arrested.
“Probably he was saying that financial assistance should not be given to those involved in mining illegalities and I agree with him to that extent”, said the chief minister.
However, Parrikar said the government had offered financial assistance to the innocent people who were dependent on legal mining, and not illegal as Justice Hegde perceives.
“Dawood’ gangsters will not go hungry if he is arrested as they are all wealthy, but here people have lost their livelihood because all kind of mining is stopped”, pointed out Parrikar.
He also observed that the learned justice should know the Right to Food enshrined in the Constitution of India.
“As the Karnataka Lokayukta, he may know the mining scenario in Bellary but his loosely worded insensitive statement proves that he is totally unaware of the ground realities in Goa”, said the chief minister.
While stating that he respects Justice Hegde’s uprightness and high level of integrity, he also advised him not to make populist statements to get mere publicity by hurting sentiments of suffering mining dependent people.
The chief minister assured the House to send an explanatory note to Justice Hegde in this regard.
