Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee has written to Governor Dr Mridula Sinha objecting to the suggestion that Speaker Pramod Sawant hoist the Tricolour on the Independence Day.
The letter by GPCC President Girish Chodankar said, “Hoisting the Flag at the official State function is probably the highest civilian honour one can get, but due to the chief minister of Goa being ill and facing health issues, he is not in Goa. This may be termed as a little unfortunate, that a head of the State is not there at the time of the official State function of such a magnitude, ‘Independence Day’.” He said better planning could have been possible from the chief minister of Goa about his trip.
“The Speaker of Goa Assembly has been entrusted with the honour of hoisting the flag at the official State function. This decision clearly reflects the partisan attitude of this government, which otherwise goes by the practice attributed in this country or the State of Goa whereby either the chief minister or a minister is given the charge of flag hoisting in the absence of the chief minister or any of the senior most minister in the Cabinet is given the honour of hosting the flag.”
He said that the Speaker is not connected to the working of the government, he is considered to be impartial presiding over an independent institution called Legislative Assembly.
“In spite of the presence of senior members in the government, the chief minister has chosen the Speaker to hoist the flag which is an insult to the Constitution, its institutions and the ministers of the State, which also amounts to insubordination as well as setting of a wrong precedent,” he said.
He continued, “This is a total travesty of the practice followed in the country and this government’s decision will be inked in the history for obliviously wrong reasons. We seek your Excellency’s indulgence on this issue to prevent setting a wrong precedent, therefore my humble request to your Excellency to hoist the flag in the eventuality, to uphold the honour of practice of hoisting of the flag. You are kindly requested to act appropriately so that the values of the democratic institutions are upheld.”
