Rallying around its North Goa Lok Sabha nominee Ravi Naik facing allegations about his involvement in a drug nexus case, Congress today hit back demanding the "role" of BJP legislators from the coastal belt be probed for "shielding" narcotics trade.
"There should be a probe whether BJP legislators from the coastal belt are involved in shielding the drug trade," Goa Congress spokesman Durgadas Kamat told reporters here.
Kamat said a majority of coastal belt constituencies are represented by ruling BJP and agencies concerned should probe the role of the MLAs in the trade.
Refuting the allegations that Ravi Naik, former Home Minister and party nominee, was involved in drug nexus, Kamat questioned the "authenticity" of a report by the state legislative assembly's committee in this regard.
The report has indicted Naik along with his son Roy in the drug nexus.
"That report is yet to be accepted by the assembly. We have doubt over the authenticity of that report," Kamat said responding to a question.
Besides being indicted in the report prepared by the Miccky Pacheco panel, Naik was also accused by two foreign women, namely Swedish model Lucky Farmhouse and a Britisher Fiona Mackown, of being involved in the drug trade.
Reacting sharply to the statement, BJP charged Congress was indulging in "gimmicks" to protect their candidate.
"These are gimmicks to protect their candidate who is involved in drug trade. They have to somehow protect him and that's why they are on a spree of naming others," said BJP Goa spokesman Wilfred Mesquita.
