Team Herald
PANJIM: In a new twist to the tale, Congress MLAs have served a notice for removal of Dr Pramod Sawant as Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly.
The notice, on Opposition leader Chandrakant (Babu) Kavalekar’s letterhead, is signed by 15 other Congress MLAs – Dayanand Sopte, Nilkanth Halarnkar, Jennifer Monseratte, Antonio (Tony) Fernandes, Francis Silveira, Pratapsingh Rane, Ravi Naik, Subhash Shirodkar, Luizinho Faleiro, Wilfred D’Sa, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, Digambar Kamat, Clafasio Dias, Felipe Neri Rodrigues and Isidore Fernandes.
The notice has been served on the Secretary Goa Legislative Assembly under Rule 243 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Legislative Assembly of Goa read with Article 179 (C) of Constitution of India.
“We the undersigned, Members of Legislative Assembly of Goa, do hereby propose to move the following motion for removal of Dr Pramod Sawant as Speaker of Legislative Assembly of Goa on expiry of 14 days notice period,” the notice states.
The development comes two days after Congress MLAs in Goa met Governor Mridula Sinha and demanded that the BJP-led government prove its majority in the Assembly. The move came at a time when Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is admitted in the AIIMS in Delhi.
When questioned over the notice, Sawant said that it is not as per the law as the Legislative Assembly is not in session. “Congress should know the rules,” he added.
Sources said the Assembly should be in session to serve such a notice.
