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Alleging harassment of whistle-blower, MLA quits party
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SME Times News Bureau | 15 Oct, 2018
Goa Forward Vice President Trajano D'Mello resigned from the party after
accusing the BJP-led government of brazenly backing the fish mafia in
the state, adding to the state's political turbulence.
Even as
the BJP-led coalition in Goa battles to stay afloat amid Chief Minister
Manohar Parrikar's prolonged illness, a past ghost of a formalin-in-fish
controversy continues to dog the government, especially BJP ally Goa
Forward.
On Sunday, D'Mello resigned from the party, claiming
that the government was backing the fish mafia which uses formalin, a
carcinogenic preservative used to preserve cadavers, to preserve fish
sold in the state's fish markets.
"I would like to state that if
fighting for justice for an upright officer who is mentally tortured is
anti-party activity, I would prefer to fight for the injustice meted out
to an officer who has alerted and saved the trusting Goan from the
deadly cancerous poisoning of our brethren," D'Mello said in his
Facebook post on Sunday.
D'Mello was referring to the targeting
of the whistle-blower Food and Drugs Administration official Iva
Fernandes, who exposed the formalin-use scandal and has now complained
to the Human Rights Commission claiming harassment by her seniors after
she conducted the raid in July.
The controversy involving use of
formalin in fish erupted in July this year, Fernandes found traces of
formalin in fish being sold in Goa during a raid.
The BJP-led
coalition government, of which Goa Forward is a part, has been on the
backfoot ever since, after several of its Ministers were accused of
allegedly protecting fish-traders who were allegedly importing
formalin-laced fish consignments into Goa from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil
Nadu and Karnataka.
D'Mello, who had been served a show cause
notice by Goa Forward for his critique of the party last week, also said
questioned the party leadership about its silence against the
harassment of Fernandes.
"If Goa Forward, which forms one fourth
of the state cabinet with its three Ministers, cannot insist on a
crackdown on those who poison fish consumed by the people of Goa, then
who can?" D'Mello said.
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