Babush may face disqualification petition for joining Cong
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, JUNE 22
A day after he joined the Congress, Education Minister Babush Moneratte may have to face a disqualification petition from the BJP, even as the opposition party has demanded that Chief Minister Digambar Kamat sack the Taleigao MLA from the Cabinet as he is facing criminal charges.
BJP spokesman Damu Naik said he would in probability file a disqualification petition against the Education Minister for defecting to the Congress, but said a final decision will be taken by the party at its Legislature meet scheduled on Friday.
The Fatorda MLA has said that the Taleigao Legislator has violated the provisions of the Anti-Defection law by merging with the Congress, more so when the UGDP has maintained that the regional outfit has not merged with the ruling party. “All these issues will discussed at the BJP Legislature party meeting scheduled on Friday”, he asserted.
The BJP spokesman, however, lamented that petitions filed against the MLA under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution have not been acted upon by the Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly.
In fact, Naik said the Speaker had been using the disqualification petitions filed against the MLA to suit the interests of the ruling group and felt that the speaker should play an impartial role in such matters.
Meanwhile, the BJP spokesman has demanded that Chief Minister Digambar Kamat immediately sack Babush from the Cabinet since he is facing criminal charges.
Naik recalled that the Congress had asked Congress MLA Dayanand Narvekar to resign from the Cabinet, while NCP Legislator Mickky Pacheco had tendered his resignation after the crime branch wanted him for interrogation in the Nadia Torrado death case.
“In the past, the Chief Minister had declined to sack the Education Minister since the latter was not part of the Congress. But, now that Babush has joined the Congress, action should be taken against the Taleigao MLA”, he demanded.
Meanwhile, sources in the UGDP has said the regional party is not averse in supporting a disqualification petition against its former Legislator.
In fact, UGDP senior leader Adv Radharao Gracias told a local TV channel on Tuesday that the UGDP would support any disqualification petition against Babush by providing the relevant records.
