Election promises cannot be like China made goods, without a warranty or guarantee. In May last year during that by-election campaign to the Panaji Assembly Constituency Babush Monseratte had solemnly assured the voters of Panaji that he would ensure that all the Casinos in the River Mandovi would be removed within 100 days of he being elected.
Having taken oath as Panaji MLA on May 28th Babush Monseratte it is now over 200 long days and the Casinos continue firmly embedded in the River Mandovi while the infrastructure of their lounges along the Dayanand Bandodkar Road only further bolstering by the day.
During the election campaign on asked how he planned to remove the Casinos, Babush Monserratte had said that he had a plan in place and would get them removed whether he was in the ruling or Opposition. And now that he is in the ruling party the Panaji MLA has no excuse for having failed to fulfill that election promise. He infact owes an apology to the people of Panaji whom he has taken for a ride.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant during that election campaign had accused Babush Monseratte of having serious criminal cases under every possible section of the Indian Penal Code. ‘From Rape to every other criminal offence under every law, Babush Monseratte has been booked for it all’ is what Pramod Sawant had thundered at that BJP public meeting in Panaji. The rest is now history with the BJP now proven to be a very Safe Haven for those with Criminal charges. A deep in the Ganges is even futile. But the Almighty God of all Faiths is observantly watching it all.
