Team Herald
PANJIM: It’s almost a month, the Congress is yet to get documents related to defection of eight MLAs into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the Legislature Department.
Soon after eight rebel Congress MLAs joined the ruling BJP on September 14, this year, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Amit Patekar gave an application to the Secretary (Legislature) seeking documents related to joining of eight party legislators into the BJP. A few days later former party president Girish Chodankar submitted another application to the Secretary (Legislature) seeking similar information under Right To Information (RT) Act.
Reacting to the delay in furnishing the information, Chodankar said if the merger of eight Congress MLAs with the BJP is as per Constitutional provisions and rule book, then why is the office of the Speaker delaying RTI reply?
He further said, “Speaker is quasi-judicial authority to decide on disqualification petitions. But unfortunately, the Speaker has hurriedly pronounced his judgment even before the disqualification petition is filed.”
Former advocate general and Aldona MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira said, “On paper, it is shown as a merger. However, we are seeking legal documents on this issue, and once we receive them, we can prove these MLAs are defectors.”
Meanwhile, the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Chodankar before the Supreme Court on the question of law regarding the Tenth Schedule interpretation and whether only the legislative wing of the party can decide about the merger without consent of the parent party organisation is due to come up for hearing on November 15.