Cong hesitates to take stand on issue of mining FIR
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 28 March 2013 23:28 IST
Goa’s opposition party Congress is hesitating to take a stand on the high court order to file FIR against those involved in illegal mining.
Congress spokesperson Sudip Tamankar had to literally walk out of the press conference when media persons kept on grilling him on the issue today.
The high court has ordered Goa government and the police to file the FIR based on petitioner Kashinath Shetye’s complaint against 151 persons for their involvement and abetment in illegal mining.
The list includes names of former mine ministers Pratapsing Rane and Digambar Kamat prominently.
Tamankar had convened a press conference, demanding chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s resignation, alleging that the inefficient police have failed in tackling all the important cases, including Vasco rape case.
When asked whether the Congress would demands that the police should efficiently file at least the FIR as per the high court order, Tamankar shot back: “will they listen to me if I say they should file it?”
When the media persons kept on demanding the stand of the Congress party on the issue, Tamankar said “the Congress had not gone to the court to comment on this.”
Initially, he said the police will have to now summon Justice M B Shah since the FIR has to be filed on the basis of Shah Commission report.
He however could not tell the media whether such precedence exists where the police summons the inquiry commission if the FIR is filed on the basis of the inquiry commission’s report.
Later, the media persons brought to his notice that the high court has directed the police to file the FIR based on the complaint filed by Shetye, which mentions 151 names including his party leaders.
“I have not read the order. Let me read it, study it and then comment on it”, he said and started walking out before the media persons could ask any other question.
