January 7, 2008 To, The Editor, Gomantak Times/Gomantak, Panjim-Goa.
PRESS STATEMENT This has reference to the page A2 Gomantak Times report [GT- Jan 7, 2007] captioned 'Abuse of Power' with headline 'Two held for fracas with Transport Minister'. The Goa Su-Raj Party deplores the act of high-handedness by a government minister on gentlemen citizens leading to their arrest and detention for merely exchanging words with the minister. Concerned over this deplorable act, the party has sought clarification from the two accused, as well as the party has conducted other independent inquiries related to this incidence. The facts of the matter is that:- The minister was not on 'official duty' but was attending a private function and therefore should not have been using his official car. That the minister's car boarded the ferry out of turn. That the minister's car blocked the entry to more vehicles even though there was enough space for at least another 4-wheeler. That the minister refused to shift his car to make room, turning deaf ears to the pleadings of other commuters that the accused needed to get to the airport in time to catch the flight. The minister is the Minister for Transport, which has been giving ulcers to thousands of daily commuters if not lakhs for decades. The least that the minister could do was to help out in time of urgency more specifically when genuinely pleaded. Our independent inquiries have not indicated if any un-civil language was used by the accused during the altercation. The behaviour of this government minister who is on oath to serve the people while in office is unacceptable to the people of Goa in a democratic system of governance. As such the Chief Minister must demand the resignation of the minister from the cabinet, forthwith to set a precedence that in a democracy such high-handed behaviours from government ministers cannot be tolerated. Furthermore this party demands that the government restricts the use of official cars for official use only, of ministers and government officials. End Sd/- Floriano Lobo Gen. Secretary/Spokesperson Goa Su-Raj Party ----------------------------------------------------------------- GOA needs a 'REVOLUTION' if it is to see better days. Goasuraj is that revolution. Support it. email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: www.goasu-raj.org
