Damu is BJP’S Suresh Kalmadi, says Congress

PANAJI: Reacting to charges by BJP spokesperson and ESG vice-chairperson Damodar ‘Damu’ Naik, the Congress in Goa dubbed him the “BJP’s Suresh Kalmadi” who was embroiled in a 5 crore International Film Festival of India scam.
Briefing the media, Congress secretary Durgadas Kamat on Tuesday slammed Naik for challenging the Congress to name their chief ministerial candidate besides making other charges.Kamat said Naik has suddenly become vocal only to divert people’s attention from the “mega corruption deals he was involved in as ESG vice-chairperson”.
Kamat said he has himself filed a police complaint against Naik regarding the Iffi scam after the comptroller and auditor general exposed the deals. Goa police had even summoned Naik for questioning.
Kamat also accused Naik of colluding with corrupt PWD officials and initiating irrelevant works to siphon off money due to which people showed him the door.
Said Kamat, “Is Goa’s Kalmadi aware that under the BJP government, the loan of the state has gone from approximately 3,000 crore to more than 11,000 crore in just three years thus critically burdening not only the average Goan but to-be Goans?”
Kamat said Congress had shown guts to initiate action against Kalmadi by sacking him from all positions for being allegedly involved in the Commonwealth Games scam, but the Goa BJP government is silent over its own Kalmadi in the ESG. The BJP has forgotten its slogan of “zero tolerance to corruption” and is practicing “Sabke Saath Vishwasgaath”, Kamat said.