More People Still Coming To Back Claims Against NFP Man
More people are still coming out to back claims that a National Federation Party provisional candidate had made anti-Muslim comments in his campaign.
The provisional candidate, Pradeep Chandra said: "Rakesh Prasad is a fellow golfer and people are cooking up stories because I'm doing quite well."
He denied he made such comments. Rajesh Prasad, treasurer of Fiji Sugar Corporation's (FSC's) Ba Golf Course, is the latest person to speak out after a number of people came forward with the same allegations. Mr Prasad said that Mr Chandra allegedly made the anti-Muslim remarks multiple times with the first comments dating back to April of this year.
Mr Prasad claimed that Mr Chandra told him Muslims would slowly take over the country.
“Mr Chandra told me Muslims hold all the top positions.”
Mr Prasad said that Mr Chandra was a golf member at the club so they usually played golf together in Ba.
“I told him that we are a multi-racial country and we need to live in peace in harmony,” he said.
“In reply he said you won't understand. “For 15 years I have worked for a Muslim company and there haven't been any issues. “There have been no racial remarks and I also take the Pooja offerings to everyone at work who welcome it with love.”
Mr Prasad said that such remarks could have a really damaging impact on our societies. He also said that candidates standing up for the general elections should not make such comments at all.
“They should talk about the things they will do good for the nation rather than making racist remarks,” Mr Prasad said. “We should tell people how we will lift our country rather than bringing it down.
“I also told him that we needed intelligent people in the government.”
For now, Mr Prasad is not sure what he will say to Mr Chandra when they get together to play golf again. Meanwhile, Jashwant Lal of Nukuloa Ba, the person who was the first to come out with the claims said that NFP was silent because he was sure what he heard was true. "Let's see what more can be done about this," he stated.
"Don't attack the culture as it is wrong." Another person who came out public, Ved Prakash Sharma of Vatusui Ba said that NFP was silent because what he said was the truth.
He also said that the alleged anti-Muslim remarks were making the NFP silent. NFP Party Leader Biman Prasad commented: "This is Fiji Sun's doing because you people cook up the stories after talking to people."
Meanwhile, the NFP has announced 11 more provisional candidates.
They are: Alipate Tuidraki, Amar Nath, Bala Das, Litiana Tagivatakini, Gabrioli Navorosi, Manasa Baravilala, Narendra Reddy, Prem Singh, Ravineshwar Dass, Shalendra Raj and Faizal Siddiq Koya.