Goa: Cong seeks minister's removal over 'unmanned Pak ship'

The Congress on Friday demanded that Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should sack his cabinet minister Milind Naik for allowing naphtha-laden ship, allegedly from Pakistan, to be anchored in Mormugao Port Trust.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee vice president Sankulp Amonkar said the party has already demanded a high-level inquiry into the permission granted to vessel 'Nu Shi Nalini', which the party claimed had originated from Pakistan.

Unmanned ship 'Nu-shi Shalini', which drifted from the MPT and ran aground off Goa coast on October 24, was refloated on December 12 and towed away to the port.

"The incident should be investigated by the National Investigation Agency or Defence Investigation Agency," Amonkar said.

Naik should be sacked from the cabinet or he should step down on moral grounds till the inquiry is completed, he added.

A Congress delegation led by Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat had met Sawant on Tuesday demanding a high- level inquiry.

The opposition party had urged the state government that Director General of Shipping should not be allowed to conduct the investigation, as their officials are also under suspicion.

When contacted, Naik was unavailable for comment.