Panaji: Daring the Congress-led government to prove involvement of their leaders in drug trade, BJP on Sunday conceded that the menace did exist during their five-year rule in Goa but it was never supported by the police.
"We never said that the drugs menace was not there during our tenure. We never denied that there were no drugs in Goa," BJP Goa unit spokesman Rajendra Arlekar told reporters today.
He said stern action was taken against the culprits unlike the current Home Ministry which has shut its eyes towards the drugs issue.
The party spokesman was reacting to the statement by Home Minister Ravi Naik yesterday alleging that the then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar supported drug peddlers duing the BJP rule.
BJP ruled Goa from October 24, 2000 to February 02, 2005 before being toppled by few legislators on the floor of the House.
"If they have any evidence against Parrikar than why don`t they arrest him," he asked.
Arlekar said the Home Minister was making irresponsible media statements after being caught in the muck in the drugs nexus case.
"He is not competent to be the Home Minister. We reiterate our demand that he should step down," the BJP leader said, adding, the Goa government should come clean on the drugs issue.
"They should also clarify about Home Minister and his son, Roy Naik`s involvement in the nexus," Arlekar said.
Naik has run into controversy after Swedish model Lucky Farmhouse, former girlfriend of Israeli drug lord Yaniv Benaim alias Atala, stated that his son, Roy Naik, was frequenting to their place.
The Home Minister yesterday had flatly refused his son`s involvement in the drug trade saying that there was a person named Roy Fernandes, involved in drug trade, who was being mistaken for his son.
PTI
