Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
All seven Opposition MLAs were suspended from the Goa Legislative Assembly for two days after a ruckus during the proceedings in the House Monday following the Opposition’s demand to have a discussion on the issue of violence in Manipur.
After the Question Hour, Congress’s Yuri Alemao, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, demanded a discussion on the issue on the floor of the House, adding that a private members’ resolution moved by an AAP MLA last week on the Manipur issue was disallowed by the Speaker.
“The government is not at all serious. Why should we not discuss Manipur?” asked Alemao.
The Opposition MLAs – Carlos Ferreira, Altone D’Costa and Alemao from the Congress, AAP MLAs Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva, Goa Forward Party leader Vijai Sardesai and Viresh Borkar of Revolutionary Goans Party – raised slogans, and continued to demand a discussion on the issue.
Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar said the Union Home Ministry was dealing with the issue. “We cannot allow a discussion on the issue on the floor of the House,” he said.
The seven Opposition MLAs, wearing black outfits and carrying placards, then rushed to the well of the House, as MGP (Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party) MLA Jit Arolkar continued to speak. The Opposition MLAs then rushed to Arolkar’s bench and raised placards in front of him, disrupting proceedings.
The Speaker then suspended the Opposition MLAs for two days under Rule 289, and they were marshalled out of the House.
“BJP’s divisive and insensitive politics have come to a head in Manipur, and as the Opposition, we wanted to know why the Private Members’ Resolution by Velim MLA Cruz Silva, which had got Ballot 1 under lottery system, was made to disappear. We wanted a discussion on Manipur and an explicit assurance from the Government of Goa that such madness will not occur here in Goa. Our suspension from the House is unprincipled, undemocratic, and an affront to Goemkars,” said Goa Forward Party leader Vijai Sardesai.
“Today it is Manipur, tomorrow it will be Goa. BJP wants to disrupt communal harmony,” said Alemao.
Tawadkar said he had to suspend the Opposition MLAs as their behaviour on the floor of the House was “unruly and condemnable”.
Speaking to the media, Tawadkar said members of the Opposition disrupted MLA Jit Arolkar as he was speaking in the House, adding that some members went towards the bench of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane.
He said the Opposition MLAs have sent him a request to reconsider their suspension.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
