Who Is Milind Naik: BJP Minister Resigns After Being Accused Of Sexual Exploitation

Who is Milind Naik: On December 15, the Goa wing of Congress party named sitting minister of the state Milind Naik in a sex scandal, alleging that he sexually exploited a woman from Bihar. The same day in the evening, the minister resigned from his position.  Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant shared the announcement regarding Naik's resignation.

Chief Minister Sawant said that Naik resigned for "a free and fair investigation" in the matter. Accepting it, Sawant assured that all the evidence on the sexual exploitation allegations will be investigated. Pulling the controversy away from the government's name, Sawant said that this is Naik's personal issue. "The allegations made against him are personal and what he will do about it will be a subject of his personal decision," he added.

The allegation by the Congress President for Goa Girish Chodnakar was made on Wednesday. Although the political leader had initially levied them on November 30 without taking any names. Chodnakar had then said that he will be revealing the minister's name involved in the scandal and gave the ruling party led by BJP 15 days to act, as in remove the minister or else he would be "forced" to name him.

Suggested Reading: Goa Minister Resigns After Being Accused Of Sexually Exploiting Bihar Woman

Milind Naik was the Urban Development and Social Welfare minister for the State government, affiliated to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). After his resignation, the government has decided not to fill the seat. Even though, this can prove as a disadvantage for the political party in the upcoming legislative assembly elections in February 2022.

Case against Milind Naik

The complaint was filed by a woman from Bihar on December 10 this year, in which she accused Congress leader Sankalp Amonkar and other party workers from South Goa of sexual harassment, criminal conspiracy and extortion. This First Information Report (FIR) was transferred to the Goa Police on December 14, Tuesday. Then on Wednesday Amonkar and other Congress leaders complaint against Naik at a women's police station in Panaji.

They alleged that cell phone records and other evidence point at the State minister of sexually harassing the woman in question and then forced abortion.

After Naik's resignation, the President of Mahila Congress Beena Naik said, "The victim was widowed, the minister took advantage of that and had a relationship with her without her consent. Asking the victim to abort a fetus without her consent, is the murder of the baby. It's a case of rape because it's without the consent of the lady."

According to Amonkar the woman had turned hostile and was forced to file the complaint against the Congress party leaders.

Who is Milind Naik

The 58-year-old political leader is a three-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). In the past, he has also served as the Power and Housing Minister in 2012.

He represents the Mormugao assembly constituency in South Goa, where he won by 140 votes. According to his member profile on the Goa Legislative Assembly site, he has a "keen interest and actively involves in social activities for upliftment of the down trodden and bringing about positive change in the society."

From July 2017 till date, he is the Commissioner of NRI Affairs and has held various portfolios like Information and Publicity, Legal Metrology and Official Language, amongst others.