Thaindian News

Panaji, July 6 (IANS) The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was Wednesday rocked by allegations that the party’s Goa observer Bharati Chawan accepted money in return for posts in the newly-revamped state unit.

The party’s state executive committee has, however, condemned the party’s national secretary Jeetendra Deshprabhu’s criticism of Chawan and has demanded his dismissal from the party.

“Bharati Chawan is in Goa only to make money. She has been taking money in return for posts in the party,” Deshprabhu told a section of the media earlier in the day Wednesday, claiming that positions in the party were being sold “across the counter”.

Deshprabhu has been in the eye of a storm after he has been booked by the state mines department for carrying out illegal mining at Korgao, 30 km north of here.

Deshprabhu’s charge has been refuted by the newly-appointed members of the NCP, including senior vice president Suresh Parulekar, who has now demanded the dismissal of his national secretary.

“Deshprabhu should be expelled from the party immediately for his irresponsible statements against Chawan. Deshprabhu has made baseless and false statements against Chawan accusing her of taking bribes to give posts in the party,” said Parulekar, a former minister in the Goa government.

NCP GOa unit president Surendra Sirsat later told reporters that he would be communicating the demand made by the state executive committee to sack Deshprabhu to party president Sharad Pawar.

“I have taken into account the sentiment of the state executive committee and I will pass it on to Mr Pawar. Since national secretary is a central party position, he will be the right person to take action against Deshprabhu,” Sirsat aid.

Chawan, who was in charge of rebuilding the state unit, had been visiting Goa regularly over the last couple of months in a bid to revamp the party hierarchy and beef up its cadre. NCP, with three legislators, is the second biggest partner in Goa’s coalition government.