PORVORIM: The BJP government is scared of the Opposition. Officials have been told to keep me quiet, Goa Forward Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai has alleged. They do not want us to talk, they only want the ruling members to talk. The government is getting exposed so they don’t want us to talk, Sardesai added.
Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar denied that there is any attempt to prevent the Opposition from speaking.
“The government is really scared. The person who was in the foyer area near the Speaker told me that there was a call from the chief minister’s office to stop me (from speaking). Everybody has heard that Opposition has been given only two hours per day to speak. Between our three parties, we can speak only for two hours,” Vijai stated.
“They have not allowed us two hours. Ten pages of what I had to speak could not be spoken. I wanted to speak on Tourism on which I wanted to give good suggestions to the government. I could not speak on many issues such as roads, town and country planning. The government does not want to allow us(Opposition) to speak. Only the ruling members want to talk. They are getting exposed so they don’t want us to talk,” Vijai added.
Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar said there was no question of not allowing the Opposition to speak. “We have gone by what was decided at the Business Advisory Committee. I am not disturbing them. We are allowing them to speak as per the allotted time. There is no question of me trying to stifle their voice.”