MLA's kin not involved in violence against RTI activists: CM

Business Standard: Panaji: Wednesday, April 03, 2013.

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar today clarified that the nephew of a sitting BJP legislator was not part of a mob allegedly involved in violence against the RTI activists, who had assembled to discuss illegal mining report in Margao town last month.

The mob had not attacked the RTI activists but were intimidating, he said.

"There was no police complaint filed by RTI activists on March 2, but 15 days later it was filed," Parrikar told the state Legislative Assembly today, saying that the complaint was an "after thought."

"On the day of the incident, police had asked RTI activists whether they want to file a complaint, but they had refused," he said.

In their complaint filed later, the RTI activists had alleged that the nephew of BJP legislator Subhash Faldesai was the mastermind behind the attack.

"The photograph submitted by RTI activists to claim that Faldesai's nephew was involved in the attack, actually is of a person not related to the MLA," Parrikar said.

"He only shares a surname with the MLA," he said.

The issue was raised by BJP legislator Nilesh Cabral, who alleged that one of the RTI activists, who was earlier booked for fraud case, was defaming a party legislator.

Assembly Speaker Rajendra Arlekar appealed to NGOs and media to be sensitive while reporting issues.

"They should try to go into the depth and then report. But if someone is doing it intentionally, then stern action would be initiated," he added.