Panaji, March 30 The Goa BJP posted on social media photographs of a councilor, whose son has been arrested for alleged involvement in a sex scandal, along with Congress leaders, and asked if this was the reason the opposition party was "hyperactive in trying to present a different narrative".
Soham Naik (20), the son of Sushant Naik, a member of the Curchorem Municipal Council in south Goa, was arrested on March 22 for allegedly raping minor girls, filming their obscene videos, and circulating them, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Goa Children's Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Information Technology Act.
Since then, the ruling BJP has maintained that councilor Sushant Naik had no connection with the party. It also criticized parties like the Congress for making such insinuations.
On Monday, Shubham Parsekar, the social media in-charge of BJP Goa, released two pictures of Sushant Naik with Amit Patkar, the state Congress chief, and Yuri Alemao, the Leader of the Opposition, on X.
"Is this the reason why the Congress was so active in trying to present a different story?" Parsekar asked.
When contacted, Patkar said the photograph was from a cricket tournament organized in 2021 by the then Curchorem Congress block president, Pushkal Sawant.
Patkar also said that Sushant Naik was invited to the event. He added that a photograph from such a public event does not necessarily imply "political or personal association".
"He was sitting next to me. I don't even remember. This photograph is from 2021. The BJP is trying to save face by releasing such old photographs. Let it be clear that there was no relationship then and now," Patkar added.
Instead of addressing the present situation, the BJP is resorting to cheap propaganda, diversion, and character assassination, he said.
"This is the DNA of the BJP's propaganda machine," Patkar claimed.
The Soham Naik case is being investigated by the Crime Branch. Four girls have already given their statements against the accused, officials said.