Panaji, Aug 10 (IANS): While a national debate rages on about politicians targeting honest bureaucrats, Goa's art and culture minister Friday called an IPS officer a "goonda" (rogue) for raiding beach-side rave parties last year.

Dayanand Mandrekar, a cabinet minister in the Manohar Parrikar-led Goa government, also held Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Vijay Singh responsible for "destroying tourism" in Goa by his constant raids on beach parties, which are known for being hubs for drug trade.

The comments were made at a public function in Chapora, one of the most infamous villages in north Goa, known for drug trade. Goa Director General of Police Kishen Kumar and Singh were at the function.

"He was SP (superintendent of police) north. He should have stayed in his office in Porvorim. What was his motive to come to the beaches acting like a 'goonda' during raids? It was not becoming of him," Mandrekar said.

As SP of Goa's north district last year, Singh had raided several beach shacks notorious for drug trafficking and rave parties. The raids had irked several politicians linked to the trade as well as the local drug mafia.

Chapora is one of key drug pushing centres in coastal Goa and is notorious for its narcotics mafia. The village is part of the legislative assembly segment of Siolim, from where Mandrekar is elected.

Mandrekar's comments came at a time when a debate is raging over the suspension and targeting of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Durga Shakti Nagpal by the Uttar Pradesh government and politicians for fighting the sand mafia in the state.

Mandrekar, who was speaking during the inauguration of the coastal security police station at Chapora late Friday afternoon, also blamed the officer for what he called a dip in coastal tourism because of the anti-narcotic raids.

"The beach parties stopped and the tourism in the area went down," said Mandrekar, who has been a constant fixture in the cabinet ever since he was elected to power in 2002.

Asked to react to Mandrekar's statement, Congress spokesperson Sudip Tamhankar said that the minister and the BJP were openly backing the drug mafia in the state.

"We have been saying this for a long time now. This statement only goes to prove the same. They cannot give jobs to people, therefore they want them to deal in drugs and earn money," Tamhankar said.

BJP spokesperson Wilfred Mesquita said that he had not spoken to the minister yet and therefore could not comment. DGP Kumar was unavailable for comment.