Come on Let's Play the Ball and see it does not Bounce back now? Sam
On Sat, Dec 27, 2014 at 11:47 PM, Goanet News <news.goa...@gmail.com> wrote: > PM urged to probe ‘misuse of naval helicopter’ > Prakash Kamat > > The petitioner, a social activist and lawyer, alleged that Finance > Minister Arun Jaitley's family used a Navy copter to attend a wedding > while in Goa. > > Goa-based social activist and lawyer Aires Rodrigues on Thursday urged > Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an inquiry into an alleged > misuse in Goa of a naval helicopter by the family of Union Finance > Minister Arun Jaitley. > > In a complaint faxed to the Prime Minister, the activist has pointed > out that Arun Jaitley’s wife Sangeeta and daughter Sonali who arrived > in Goa from Delhi on December 23 by the Indigo flight 6E-335 on a > private visit to attend a wedding were flown by a naval helicopter > from Dabolim airport to the five-star Lalit Golf & Spa Resort at > Canacona in South Goa. > > Alleging that this misuse of the naval copter was at the instance of > Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and was clearly a gross abuse of > power and an unnecessary burden on the Exchequer, Mr. Rodrigues has > stated that it was also contrary to the government’s mantra of good > governance and high probity in public life. > > Stating that those in power are expected to be sincere custodians of > the State and should under no circumstances abuse and misuse their > authority, Mr. Rodrigues has sought the Prime Minister’s immediate > intervention and prompt action in the matter. Mr. Rodrigues has > further demanded that the Government must recover from Mr. Jaitley the > undue expenditure incurred in ferrying his wife and daughter by that > naval copter. > > Seeking action against Mr. Jaitley within 15 days, the activist lawyer > has in his complaint stated that if no action is taken he would be > constrained in public interest to move the Bombay High Court at Goa > for appropriate orders. > > He has in his complaint also stated that it was an irony that on a day > which the government has declared as ‘Good Governance Day’ he had to > seek the Prime Minister’s intervention to the blatant misuse of the > naval copter and criminal waste of public funds by none other than the > Finance Minister. > > Arun Jaitley's response: > > Further to this report, Arun Jaitley has responded on his Facebook page. > > The online edition to “The Hindu” has reported that a Goa based > activist has asked the Prime Minister to order an enquiry on the > alleged misuse of naval helicopter by my wife and daughter on 23rd > December at Goa. The news item mentioned that one Mr. Aires Rodrigues > has claimed that my wife and daughter were flown by a naval helicopter > from Dabolim Airport to resort at Cancona in South Goa. He has further > alleged that the naval helicopter was made available at the instance > of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. > > 2. The news item is entirely false on three counts: Firstly, it was my > wife and son (not my daughter) who were in Goa on 23rd December. > Secondly, they did not use any governmental facility, least of all a > naval helicopter. Thirdly, Manohar Pariikar, the Defence Minister, had > not sanctioned the use of any Defence helicopter for them. In fact, > since it was a purely a private visit, Manohar Parrikar was not even > aware of the fact that they were in Goa. > > 3. No activist has a right to invent falsehood and then publicize it > over the social media. I am waiting to see whether this activist and > the online editions, which have published the statement without > verification, retract from the falsehood and tender apology and > express regret over the same. >