'Will counter this intimidation through legal means': Entrepreneur responds after Goa govt files police complaint for post on state's tourism data
In his reply on X, where he has about 22,500 followers and mentions himself as the founder of an “online legal learning platform”, he said, "It is unfortunate that instead of acting on complaints by thousands of tourists on social media regarding various tourist scams they faced in Goa, which by the way I did not highlight, and merely shared publicly available data, which I also cited, the authorities are trying to intimidate me with a baseless police case."
- Nov 9, 2024,
- Updated Nov 9, 2024 3:07 PM IST
After the Goa tourism department filed a police complaint against Ramanuj Mukherjee, an entrepreneur for his post on X about tourism issues in the state, the entrepreneur on Saturday responded to a journalist’s question, stating that the authorities were trying to intimidate him instead of addressing tourists' complaints.
In his reply on X, where he has about 22,500 followers and mentions himself as the founder of an “online legal learning platform”, he said, "It is unfortunate that instead of acting on complaints by thousands of tourists on social media regarding various tourist scams they faced in Goa, which by the way I did not highlight, and merely shared publicly available data, which I also cited, the authorities are trying to intimidate me with a baseless police case."
"They should have put the correct data out there if they think my cited data is wrong instead of what appears to be a misuse of law to shut down criticism. I will counter this intimidation through legal means," he wrote on X in response to a question by a journalist on the police case.
In a complaint to the Superintendent of Police at the Cyber Crime Station in Panaji, Deputy Director of Tourism Rajesh Kale reported a "public mischief" incident on November 5 around 3:52 pm.
Kale claimed that the entrepreneur shared "false data" on his social media account, which allegedly distressed local businesses and created fear within the community.
The complaint was made based on the post shared by the entrepreneur on X which read, “Foreign tourists have abandoned (Goa) already. Look at 2019 v 2023 numbers. Russians and Brits who used to visit annually have opted for Sri Lanka instead. Indian tourists still visiting, but soon likely to ditch it as word spreads about exploitation of tourists while there are so many cheaper comparable locations abroad.”
The complaint was filed just days after the tourism department faced criticism on social media over Goa's tourism infrastructure, including issues with cabs and hotels. In response, the department had recently issued a statement defending the state.
Earlier this week, the tourism department issued a statement saying, “Goa, like any other tourist destination, is governed by market forces and at times the air and hotel components make Goa expensive, leaving the potential tourist seeking alternate options. However, Goa has and will always continue to rise to challenge to solidify its position as a top holiday destination for a diverse range of travellers.” The statement also noted that comparing Goa to countries like Sri Lanka may give an "inaccurate perspective."
After the Goa tourism department filed a police complaint against Ramanuj Mukherjee, an entrepreneur for his post on X about tourism issues in the state, the entrepreneur on Saturday responded to a journalist’s question, stating that the authorities were trying to intimidate him instead of addressing tourists' complaints.
In his reply on X, where he has about 22,500 followers and mentions himself as the founder of an “online legal learning platform”, he said, "It is unfortunate that instead of acting on complaints by thousands of tourists on social media regarding various tourist scams they faced in Goa, which by the way I did not highlight, and merely shared publicly available data, which I also cited, the authorities are trying to intimidate me with a baseless police case."
"They should have put the correct data out there if they think my cited data is wrong instead of what appears to be a misuse of law to shut down criticism. I will counter this intimidation through legal means," he wrote on X in response to a question by a journalist on the police case.
In a complaint to the Superintendent of Police at the Cyber Crime Station in Panaji, Deputy Director of Tourism Rajesh Kale reported a "public mischief" incident on November 5 around 3:52 pm.
Kale claimed that the entrepreneur shared "false data" on his social media account, which allegedly distressed local businesses and created fear within the community.
The complaint was made based on the post shared by the entrepreneur on X which read, “Foreign tourists have abandoned (Goa) already. Look at 2019 v 2023 numbers. Russians and Brits who used to visit annually have opted for Sri Lanka instead. Indian tourists still visiting, but soon likely to ditch it as word spreads about exploitation of tourists while there are so many cheaper comparable locations abroad.”
The complaint was filed just days after the tourism department faced criticism on social media over Goa's tourism infrastructure, including issues with cabs and hotels. In response, the department had recently issued a statement defending the state.
Earlier this week, the tourism department issued a statement saying, “Goa, like any other tourist destination, is governed by market forces and at times the air and hotel components make Goa expensive, leaving the potential tourist seeking alternate options. However, Goa has and will always continue to rise to challenge to solidify its position as a top holiday destination for a diverse range of travellers.” The statement also noted that comparing Goa to countries like Sri Lanka may give an "inaccurate perspective."