Team Herald
Panjim: The opposition parties were livid with Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar’s decision to adjourn the House for a couple of hours so as to allow MLAs to meet Draupadi Murmu, the Presidential election nominee of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), who arrived in Goa on Thursday as part her poll campaign on Thursday.
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While the House waited, BJP 25 BJP MLAs and allies and two MPs, had lunch with the NDA nominee in a starred hotel to pledge their support for her candidature
After the question-hour session, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day till 2:30 pm, stating the Zero Hour mention and calling attention notices would be taken up when the House would meet again at 2:30 pm.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, Congress Legislative Party (CLP) Deputy Leader Sankalp Amonkar said that the adjournment of the House is a murder of democracy. “Draupadi Murmu is only a Presidential candidate and not the president of India, to adjourn the House,” he said.
Aldona MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira said, “I believe that Speaker should have conducted the business listed for the day. It was unfair to keep the House waiting on account of the visit of a Presidential candidate, who should have waited. The Assembly is most sacrosanct and one should respect the House.”
AAP Benaulim MLA Capt Venzy Viegas said, “Definitely it was not fair on the part of the Speaker to suddenly adjourn the House. The BJP could have held their meeting with the Presidential candidate in the morning. Though we are not happy, we didn’t protest because we respect the woman who hails from the tribal community.”
Meanwhile, all BJP MLAs and its allies – two MGP MLAs and three independents met Murmu over a luncheon at a starred hotel in the city. Union Minister Shripad Naik and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar and BJP office-bearers were also present.
Murmu sought support for her candidature in the July 18 Presidential election. All 25 BJP plus supporting MLAs and two MPs extended their support to her in the upcoming Presidential elections.
