Aldona Congress MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira has criticised the Goa Police, calling its action “illegal” in registering a case against the individual who uploaded a video allegedly showing a foreigner soliciting customers for prostitution in Goa. He claimed the move was aimed at shielding the state government from embarrassment over the condition of Goa’s tourism sector.
“The action of the police is totally flawed. Perhaps the police registered the offence in the direction of some higher up. Some political masters. Firstly, remember, a customer cannot be booked under the immoral traffic prevention act. So those so called customers cannot be booked or arrested at all. Secondly, what we saw was a woman who was soliciting in a public place. Do you wish to tell me that open prostitution is not going on on coastal stretches along the northern belt?” Ferreira said.
He further alleged that such incidents are part of a wider pattern. “More will come out. On a daily basis we get videos, news, and messages of tourists causing ruckus, abusing people driving or riding roughly and ending up in accidents, gutters or on other vehicles in the middle of the roads, on the medians and other places. And this is going on on a daily basis,” he said.
Questioning the basis of the FIR, Ferreira said, “Now he uploaded this video for which he has been booked. Is there any obscenity in this video? What offence can this video convey, or matter which may deprave the mind of an individual. This video should have been taken as an eye opener. This video should have been taken as an acceptance of what is actually going on in Goa and for this reason the tourists have heard that women are easily available in Goa. This is what needed action. The right to information is now recognised as a fundamental right guaranteed under article 19 of the constitution.”
He added, “Personally I don’t see any offence in recording this video nor its uploading. On the contrary, I view the action of the police as an illegal act. The registration of an FIR when no cognisable offence is made out shows the police have not applied their mind, but have been put on a mission to protect their political masters and save them from embarrassment.”
Linking the issue to Goa’s tourism image, Ferreira said, “Such incidents bring bad name to the image of Goa. So everyone from the CM to the Tourism minister will not wish to have such videos circulating online. Goa is already facing a huge backlash in its failure of the tourism policy. And the buck stops will the government. The government has empanelled influencers apparently to boost its image. Goa’s tourism was flourishing without these influencers and we are wasting money with them.”
He also alleged systemic corruption in the tourism ecosystem. “For all these illegal and immoral activities, to be allowed to happen there has to be a hafta collection going on. Shack owners, nightclub owners, restaurants, water sports and other tourist business operators complain that nothing works without hafta, which means greasing the palms of someone or the other. Secondly, some of these politicians or party workers themselves are involved in the illegal or immoral trades and/or taking money. They fear that they may be exposed. The government fears that this entire chain may be exposed,” he said.
Accusing the government of suppressing negative narratives, Ferreira said, “Remember them in Hitler’s time, if you exposed Hitler or the Nazis you were silenced. Frighten them so that they delete the videos and to send the message to others not to upload any negative reels about Goa. This will end up being counterproductive.”
Calling for reforms, he added, “Politicians have ruined tourism totally and the entire state will suffer due to this. I think Goa tourism needs a revamp. The tourism ministry, not the department, the tourism ministry needs to identify those correct officials in the department and crack the whip, and the Goa police needs to sensitise its officers and lower constabulary as to the handling of these situations and avoiding controversies, which will further damage its image and image of Goa.”
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