Says let Delhi HC first decide on his appeal on citizenship issue
TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Asserting that his Portuguese citizenship issue was sub-judice, Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva has submitted to the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer that there cannot be any inquiry into the question of deletion of his name from the electoral rolls before the disposal of his appeal petition by the Delhi High Court.
The Benaulim filed his reply before the electoral officer in charge of Benaulim assembly constituency following a complaint filed by Varca resident John Fernandes calling for deletion of his name from the electoral roll in view of the ruling by the Union Home Minster declaring him a Portuguese citizen.
In his reply, Caitu said that the matter is sub judice since his appeal petition challenging the Union Home Ministry’s ruling is pending before the Delhi High Court. In the given circumstance, he contended that the Electoral officer will have to wait for the Delhi High Court to dispose of his appeal petition to take up the complaint into the deletion of his name from the electoral roll.
Incidentally, neither the complainant John Fernandes nor his lawyer Antonio Clovis Da Costa was present when the mater came up for hearing before AERO Phaldessai on Monday morning.
The AERO later adjourned the hearing of the matter to January 31.
Caitu’s Personal Assistant, who attended the hearing along with his lawyer, said that the Benaulim MLA has submitted that Delhi HC is yet to dispose of the petition challenging the Union Home Ministry order declaring him a Portuguese citizenship. “We have only drawn attention of the court that the appeal petition is pending before the court and hence the election authority should wait for the court’s decision before going ahead with the inquiry”, Elvis said.
