The Sunday Express report on the cloud over the Goa Raj Bhavan in connection with the ‘‘impersonation’’ case involving P K Rai, a Delhi-based events manager, rocked the Goa Assembly today with the Opposition demanding a thorough probe into the incident. Governor Kedar Nath Sahni’s office, which did not reply to a questionnaire The Sunday Express sent to him, today issued a statement, calling the report ‘‘misleading’’ and reiterating its version of events as mentioned in the FIR against Rai. While Raj Bhavan maintained that no calls were made to Rai, telephone records available with The Sunday Express show otherwise: the Goa Raj Bhavan called Rai’s residence on November 24, 2003. It also made calls to his residence and mobile phone on November 27—before it allegedly blew Rai’s ‘‘cover.’’ Rai claimed that he knew Sahni and was invited to stay as a guest at Raj Bhavan. He said he got into trouble after the Governor and his staff asked him to hand over an incriminating tape they thought he had. When he told them no such tape existed, he said a case was filed against him, alleging he had checked into Raj Bhavan pretending to be the son of then Chief Justice V N Khare. In the Goa Assembly today, Congress legislators tried to stall question hour to discuss the Governor’s conduct. Speaker Vishwas Satarkar was forced to adjourn the House for half-an-hour as Opposition members refused to back down. As noisy scenes continued, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said he wanted to make a statement on the condition that there should be no further debate. Congressmen rejected his offer with party deputy leader Dayanand Narvenkar pointing out that ‘‘democracy is a two-way traffic.’’ After the Speaker refused to let the matter be discussed, GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro called a press conference, calling for the immediate sacking of the Governor and an inquiry into what he called ‘‘Sahnigate’’. To bolster their case that Rai knew officials from the Governor’s office, Congress leaders alleged that Rai had not only stayed at Raj Bhavan but also at a VIP Guest House. They said he had even gone sightseeing with the Governor’s ADC. Goa’s Citizen’s Action Group has decided to launch an agitation to press for the removal of the Governor. In New Delhi, Congress spokesman Anand Sharma, too, demanded a through probe into the incident.
