Team Herald

PANJIM: As the Opposition parties led by Congress boycotted the joint sitting of Parliament on Tuesday called to commemorate the Constitution Day, in Goa too, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat did not attend the Constitution Day programme at the Goa Legislative Assembly.

In a press statement issued, Kamat said that the Congress Party on Constitution Day has resolved to save the soul of the Constitution by not allowing it to be mortgaged to an “autocratic government blinded by the insatiable lust for power”.

The Goa State Legislative Assembly had organised the commemoration of the Constitution Day event, which was attended by Speaker Rajesh Patnekar, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar and other MLAs from ruling.

Kamat boycotted the event. “The present government has completely violated the basic principles of the Constitution of India by taking away the independence of various institutions and law enforcing agencies,” Kamat said.

Former chief minister alleged that the peoples mandate is set aside by BJP to form governments through backdoor entry in States such as Goa, Meghalaya, Karnataka and now Maharashtra, that saw desperation of the BJP to grab power by splitting other political parties.

“I want to recall, how Congress which had emerged as the single largest party was not invited by the Governor to pave way for the BJP to come to power in 2017. The subsequent splits in MGP and Congress orchestrated by the BJP have shown the true face of the party which considers itself above law and Constitution,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kamat has urged Speaker to decide on the disqualification petitions filed against the 10 defectors, at the earliest upholding the provisions of the Constitution.

Congress President Girish Chodankar had on August 8 filed disqualification petition against its former 10 MLAs, who left the party and joined BJP.