Entrepreneur claims foreigners 'avoiding' Goa; state files police complaint
What's the story
The Goa government has filed a police complaint against entrepreneur Ramanuj Mukherjee after a viral social media post in which he slammed the state's tourism experience. The complaint, filed by the Goa Tourism Department, alleges that Mukherjee spread "false data through his social media X handles," hurting local businesses and creating unrest in the community.
Tourism debate
Entrepreneur's post claims decline in Goa's foreign tourism
Mukherjee, who is associated with the educational platform Law Sikho, asserted in his post that "foreign tourists have abandoned the state already." He contrasted tourist numbers from 2019 to 2023 and implied that Russians and Brits now prefer Sri Lanka over Goa. Mukherjee also hinted at a possible decline in Indian tourism due to perceived exploitation and cheaper options abroad.
Data dispute
Goa Tourism Department questions entrepreneur's data credibility
Rajesh Kale, Deputy Director of Tourism in Goa, said in the complaint that Mukherjee's actions could be part of a "hidden agenda to undermine" Goa's image. The complaint also questioned the credibility of data from the 'China Economic Information Center' which Mukherjee used to back his claims. Responding to the complaint, Mukherjee called it "intimidation tactics" by authorities. "If...I'm wrong, they should have put out correct data to counter me," he said. "I will counter this intimidation through legal means."
Twitter Post
Read his full response here
Turns out Goa Tourism decided the best course of action when tens of thousands of people are complaining about how badly they were treated in the state is this: pic.twitter.com/8pyz6Pbewj
— Ramanuj Mukherjee (@law_ninja) November 9, 2024