Panaji: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Goa said on Friday that criminal activities had gone up there and there is no need for a dedicated home minister in the BJP-ruled state. AAP demanded that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant must drop the Home portfolio, IANS reported.
Because Sawant is handling many portfolios, "he is not able to control the law and order situation", AAP Goa unit President Amit Palekar said in a press conference in Panaji.
He said, "Therefore, CM Sawant must step down from the position of the home minister, and a dedicated home minister should be appointed for the state's benefit."
"The increased crime rate has been affecting the tourism industry in the state. Since the mining industry closed in the state, only tourism has provided a stable source of revenue. However, if law and order are not controlled, the situation will worsen, which will adversely affect the tourism industry," Palekar argued.
Further, he blamed BJP Ministers and MLAs for political interference in Goa Police's inability to resolve crimes
AAP Vice President Valmiki Naik said at the conference that the law and order situation in the state had reached a crisis level.
He said, "There have been cases in the state where victims are connected to the BJP, and this party was not able to deliver justice to their own people," and asked, "what kind of justice can common people expect from the BJP?"
Naik stated that the Goa Police have been unable to register FIRs nowadays owing to political interference. "In some cases, the Goa Police registered the cases only as a result of media pressure or due to family pressure. Be it the murder case of Sonali Phogat or any other," he said.