TMC accuses Goa CM’s men of burning poll material
February 17th, 2012 - 2:01 pm ICT by IANSPanaji, Feb 17 (IANS) A day after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused Chief Minister Digambar Kamat of being responsible for a $400 million-plus mining scam, a TMC candidate has accused Kamat’s supporters of burning party flags and equipment.
Savio Coutinho, the TMC’s candidate from the Margao assembly constituency - Kamat’s home constituency - has said he was also threatened by Kamat’s personal security officer (PSO). Kamat has vehemently denied these allegations.
“A mob of the chief minister’s supporters went to the Trinamool office in Margao and lit fire crackers near our banners and party flags, burning them. Nilesh Prabhu, one of the chief minister’s bodyguards, also came to my house to threaten me,” said Coutinho, a former mayor of Margao town, 30 km from here. Coutinho said he would be filing a complaint with the election authority Friday.
TMC state president Wilfred de Souza had accused Kamat of encouraging illegal mining in Goa.
“The report, of which I managed to get a glimpse, says that illegal mining in Goa has cost a loss of $423 million in terms of revenue to both the Goa and central governments. The chief minister was in a position to stop illegal mining. Instead, he encouraged it,” the octogenerian de Souza said.
Kamat has, however, denied Coutinho’s allegations.
“This is a false complaint. This kind of incident has not happened. We did not burst any crackers. I have been myself going on door to door campaigns across my constituency,” Kamat said.
Elections to the Goa assembly will be held March 3, and the results would be announced March 6.
- Goa illegal mining scam worth $423 million: Trinamool Congress - Feb 15, 2012
- Goa skips siesta to vote, turnout over 80 percent (Night Lead) - Mar 03, 2012
- BJP fielding candidates of mining lobby: Kamat - Feb 26, 2012
- Mamata's fire and bluster scorches Goa poll scene (Goa Newsletter) - Jan 11, 2012
- Illegal mining report looms large over Goa (Goa Newsletter) - Mar 17, 2012
- Saddened by trends, Goa Congress legislator to 'take a nap' - Mar 06, 2012
- Trinamool not to tie up with Congress in Goa - Jan 14, 2012
- BJP-MGP alliance win in Goa; to stake claim Wednesday (Roundup) - Mar 06, 2012
- BJP-MGP alliance routs Congress-NCP in Goa (Roundup) - Mar 06, 2012
- Pawar aide's illegal mine being probed: Goa minister - Mar 17, 2011
- Mamata wants Hong Kong style 'financial district' in Goa - Feb 06, 2012
- Goa Trinamool promises to return farm land - Feb 05, 2012
- 'Plans to convert Goa into Hong Kong an insult' - Feb 28, 2012
- Raj Thackeray's security guard threatens truck driver - Mar 28, 2011
- BJP to raise Goa mining scam in Parliament: Venkaiah Naidu - Oct 21, 2011
Tags: bodyguards, central governments, chief minister, de souza, election authority, false complaint, filing a complaint, fire crackers, goa assembly, goa cm, home constituency, kamat, lit fire, octogenerian, party flags, personal security, savio, security officer, state president, trinamool congress