Panaji, April 1 (IANS) While lawyers on both sides of the bar sweat it out in the courtroom debating the Tarun Tejpal rape trial, on the outside the former Tehelka editor-in-chief is unwittingly kicking up a political storm.
The Congress has occasionally taken potshots at Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's seemingly bi-polar Goa Police which they claim was shockingly efficient when it comes to snaring Tejpal after an elaborate high profile chase and is shoddy and inept when it comes to arresting mining magnates and top politicians in Goa's Rs.35,000 crore mining scam.
But Facebook, the social media platform where Goa's urban and savvy electorate take political potshots and indulge in virtual trench warfare, has now been ignited, after comments Saturday by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Swati Kerkar regarding the Tejpal case.
"You (Parrikar) have chased Tejpal enough. But you have yet to arrest ministers involved in the mining scam," AAP's South Goa candidate Kerkar said at the party's first major public meeting in Panaji where its central leader Manish Sisodia was also in attendance.
Kerkar's comments are a sum of criticism from political as well as civil society quarters of Parrikar and his handling of the Goa mining scandal.
After going hammer and tongs against illegal mining trade for seven years, Parrikar after coming to power in 2012 first ruled out any illegal mining in Goa. He has been accused of scaling down the scam while going slow against politicians and mining magnates involved in the loot.
Kerkar's comments have, however, accentuated battle lines between the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) online cheerleaders and AAP supporters.
"I cannot believe that a woman would support ... Tejpal for political gains. And she claims to be an activist for women's rights? Shame on Swati Kerkar! As a woman I am outraged," says Shefali Vaidya, one of the many Facebookers who have been aggressively supporting the BJP.
Parrikar's elder son, the usually reticent Utpal, too joined forces by asking how exactly had the government, headed by his father, gone overboard on the Tejpal issue. "How has the government gone overboard with Tejpal? Why the soft corner?" Utpal asks AAP member Valmiki Naik.
The latter has called the accusations baseless and below the belt because Kerkar had never supported Tejpal in her comments.
"But is this how low BJP will stoop? ...I publicly challenge Shefali Vaidya to speak with Swati Kerkar to know her opinion; if not, she has to apologize for maligning her image."
This single debate on popular Facebook forum Goa+, which has over 38,000 members, has even resulted in the 'unfriending' of former Facebook friends on both sides of the political divide.
Tejpal was arrested after an elaborate multi-state chase by the Goa Police after a junior colleague accused him of allegedly raping her in an elevator during a high-profile conference organized by the owners of Tehelka, a national weekly magazine.
This is not the first time Tejpal has 'inspired' a political battle.
More than a decade ago, a Tehelka sting operation on arms trade had implicated the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
The Delhi Police, which is preparing to convert 9 stadiums of Delhi into a temporary jail, has re
All flights to the Middle East canceled: Many airlines decided Israel-Lebanon tension; See list
Keeping in mind the safety of passengers amid the ongoing tension in the Middle East, many major
Due to the scorching heat wave in Delhi as well as hot nights, common people are facing problems.
28-year-old Shraddha Walker was very fond of traveling. He loved the mountain valleys and the gre
On Tuesday, there was a clash between the prisoners in the number-9 of Tihar Jail located in the
Today is the 90th day of Russia-Ukraine. The war between the two countries is still going on. Ami
India's great batsman and former Team India coach Rahul Dravid's car collided with an auto-ricksh
Heavy firing exchange between India, Pakistan in Kashmir
Jammu, Jan 2 (IANS) Indian and Pakistani border guards ex
The US has expressed concern over the supply of S-400 surface-to-air missile defense systems from
Rumored girlfriend Sara Tendulkar was seen with Shubman Gill, the user said- 'Rumors are true'
Indian cricketer Shubman Gill makes a lot of headlines in his game as well as his game. Many time
