Team Herald
PANJIM: Accusing Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar of committing ‘wilful’ and ‘deliberate’ disobedience of the High Court judgment and order, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Patkar has filed a contempt petition before the High Court against Tawadkar for failing to decide on the disqualification petition against eight rebel Congress MLAs.
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In his contempt petition, Patkar sought urgent intervention, as the delay undermines democratic principles and violates the constitutional mandate.
The petitioner had filed a writ petition before the High Court seeking directions to the Speaker to decide the disqualification petition in a time-bound manner and more particularly within a period prescribed in law as laid down by the Supreme Court.
According to Patkar, the Speaker has filed an affidavit-in-reply stating that he will hear and decide the disqualification petition expeditiously, but failed to comply with the orders passed by the High Court vide judgments dated May 2, 2023 and July 21, 2023.
Even after one-and-half-years, the disqualification petition is still pending for a decision before the Speaker since the order dated May 2, 2023, Patkar said, adding that the Tawadkar had ‘deliberately’ and ‘malafidely’ not proceeded to decide on the disqualification petition. Till date, the Speaker had not issued notices to hear the petition, he said and prayed to initiate contempt proceedings against the Speaker and punish him in accordance with law.
Patkar had filed disqualification petition before the Speaker on December 6, 2022 after the eight Congress MLAs switched over to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on September 14, 2022.
Aldona MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira is representing Patkar in the disqualification petition before the Speaker.
