BJP MLA wants legal sanctity to matka

digital goa news service
Panaji

BJP’s senior legislator Dayanand Mandrekar has reiterated his stand to
legalise matka claiming it to be a tradition in the state.

“Traditionally matka is going on in the state… None of the governments
have actually stopped it so why not legalise it,” Mandrekar told
Prudent Media news channel.

Siolim legislator had earlier hit the controversy when he requested
state government’s intervention to release a Goan young arrested for
drug peddling and lodged in Mumbai jail.

BJP Goa Chief Laxmikant Parsekar had termed Mandrekar’s statement as a joke.

“These matka bookies are not big time mafia…. They are eking out their
living for years with this matka. When I raised the issue in the
assembly, I had received calls from some matka bookies congratulating
me,” former agriculture minister said.

He said that while casinos are looting people and making them beggars,
the case with matka is different.

Mandrekar also said that there are bigger drug dealer than David
Driham alias Dudu, who is currently arrested by Anti Narcotic Cell.

The BJP leader said that the local youths get dragged into trade to
make fast bucks. “If you weed out the bigger fishes, the entire trade
will stop,” he said.