The Goa BJP on Monday posted pictures on social media of an assembly member, whose son was arrested for his alleged involvement in a sex scandal, with Congress leaders and asked them if this was the reason why the opposition party was “so active to paint a different story”.
Soham Naik (20), son of Sushant Naik, a councilor of Curchorim Municipality in South Goa, was arrested on March 22 in cases filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, Goa Children Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Information Technology Act for allegedly raping minor girls and making obscene videos and disseminating them.
Since then, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has maintained that councilor Sushant Naik has no connection with the party. She also attacked parties like Congress for making such insinuations.
On Monday, BJP Goa social media in-charge Shubham Parsekar posted two pictures of Sushant Naik with state Congress president Amit Patekar and Opposition leader Yuri Alemao.
“Why is Congress so hyperactive to paint a different story?” Parsekar asked.
When contacted, Patekar said the photo was from a cricket tournament organized in 2021 by the then Curchorim Congress block president, Pushkal Sawant.
The accused’s father was also invited, Patkar said, adding that the photo from such a public event does not imply a “political or personal connection”.
“He was sitting next to me. I don’t even remember. This picture is from 2021. The BJP is trying to save face by coming out with such old pictures. Let this be clear. There was no relation then and now,” Patekar added.
Instead of responding to the present, the BJP hides behind cheap propaganda, diversion and character assassination, he said.
“This is the DNA of the BJP’s propaganda machine,” Patkar claimed.
Soham Naik’s case is being investigated by the Crime Branch. Its officials said that four girls have so far been isolated against the accused.
