Goa’s Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar who has now been charge sheeted by the Canacona Police must immediately resign and face the trial. Infact it comes as no surprise that Ramesh Tawadkar misusing his Ministerial position has already started intimidating and threatening the witnesses in the case against him.
The BJP while in the Opposition had demanded the resignation of then Minister Dayanand Narvekar when he was charge sheeted. So they should walk the talk now and there cannot be double standards.
Infact in a landmark Judgment the Supreme Court in 2014 advised not to induct in the cabinet charge sheeted persons facing trial.
The Court said that criminalization of politics destroyed people’s faith in democracy and persons, howsoever, high he/she might be could not be exempted from equal treatment. It said constitutional morality, good governance and constitutional trust expected good sense not to recommend any person with criminal charges from being appointed as a Minister.
The Court further observed “criminalisation of politics is anathema to the sacredness of democracy. It is worth saying that systemic corruption and sponsored criminalisation can corrode the fundamental core of elective democracy and, consequently, the constitutional governance.”
The Court also said: “A democratic republic polity hopes and aspires to be governed by a Government which is run by the elected representatives who do not have any involvement in criminal offences.
The Canacona Police has charge sheeted Goa Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar and seven others in the criminal case that was registered against them in the 2009 Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary rioting case. The charge sheet has been filed by the Investigating Officer Sub-Inspector Prashal Dessai before the Canacona Judicial Magistrate First Class Sarika Faldessai. Ramesh Tawadkar and the seven others have been charge sheeted for serious offences under Sections 143, 147,451,353,224 and 225 read with Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code.
A First Information Report (F.I.R) bearing No 35/09 was registered on 27th April 2009 at the Canacona Police Station against Ramesh Tawadkar the then MLA of Poinguinim Constituency who is now MLA of Canacona Constituency and the Sports Minister of Goa.
The F.I.R was registered against Ramesh Tawadkar and others for having along with a mob barged into the office of the Range Forest Officer at Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary in Canacona and forcibly taken away two accused who were in the custody of the Range Forest Officer.
