Digvijay talks tough on Party indiscipline

TEAM HERALD

PANJIM: With Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president John Fernandes hinting at the involvement of party MLAs, All India Congress Committee (AICC) members and a Member of Parliament (MP) in anti-party activities during the recent Lok Sabha 2014 elections, AICC general secretary and Goa desk in-charge Digvijay Singh directed the disciplinary committee to send notices to all involved in anti-party activities and immediately initiate action against all those found guilty.

“If (Congress) MLAs or any (party) members are involved in the anti-party activities, the committee should immediately issue notices to them and take necessary action. Wherever AICC has to act (on this issue), the names should be referred to us for action,” Singh told media persons on Thursday evening.

Responding to the question on growing indifference and anti-party activities within the party, Singh said ‘the disciplinary committee has been formed and is investigating all aspects. Under the Congress constitution, Pradesh Congress Committee will take decision on whoever has to be expelled from the party’.

Singh said that the action would be initiated at the earliest. 

Singh, who along with AICC secretary A Chellakumar, is on a two-day visit to Goa, had a long meeting with the party executive committee Thursday afternoon wherein a postmortem was done on the party’s humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha election. The meeting saw the presence of GPCC president, Congress Legislative Party leader Pratapsing Rane and MP Shantaram Naik.

Meanwhile, speaking to media persons on Wednesday, Fernandes refused to give out any details about the functioning of the six-member disciplinary committee stating “when MLAs, AICC members and MP are involved in the case, the functioning and hearings have to be in-camera”.

Fernandes, who is a chairman of the committee, said that the committee is still in process of investigation and the report would be tabled before the party president, who would then put it up before the State executive committee for consciences. “Notices would be issued soon and the members would be heard before taking any action,” he said.

Soon after facing humiliating defeat, Congress party had announced that it would issue a show cause notice to its senior leader and North Goa candidate Ravi Naik for his statement against then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Naik, who had lost by over one lakh votes against BJP’s Shripad Naik, had blamed Singh for party’s defeat across India.

The inquiry committee will also probe party MLA Mauvin Godinho and Goa Pradesh Youth Congress Committee President Valanka Alemao who had refrained from canvassing for the party candidate during Lok Sabha polls.

Former Member of Parliament Francisco Sardinha, who was denied ticket by the party, will also be under the scanner for anti-party activities, along with legislator Atanasio Monserratte, who had publicly admitted that he did not work for Congress’ official candidate.

Meanwhile, Digvijay Singh said Congress has decided to prepare and submit a charge-sheet against the BJP government functioning to Goa Governor B V Wanchoo and State Legislative Assembly speaker Rajendra Arlekar on July 22, the first day of the 18-day monsoon session. 

Singh posed faith on Goa Congress legislative members stating that “in the coming assembly session, you will see more aggressive Congress legislators”. 

     The AICC leader said that the party through mass demonstration will present the chargesheet to Governor and legislative assembly speaker on July 22. “To give an example, the mismanagement of power sector by the government is a major issue causing hardships to the people of Goa and it has been rightly raised by the Congress party,” he said. 

            Meanwhile, ahead of AICC organisational election 2015, GPCC has been directed to carry out four month long membership drive from September 1 to December 31, 2014. Towards this end the party has decided to visit every polling booth and enroll members.   

PANJIM: Further buttressing opposition to the entry of Sri Ram Sene into Goa, the All India Congress Committee general secretary Digvijay Singh on Thursday urged Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to ban the entry of the controversial outfit and prevent Pramod Muthalik from disturbing the communal harmony in the State.

While extending its support to right wing Hindu organization’s demand for ban on cow slaughter, Singh said that Congress party does not support the converting of India into a Hindu nation. A resolution to this effect was moved during the All India Hindu Convention that concluded in Ramnathi Thursday evening.

Addressing media persons at Congress house Panjim, Singh said that SRS chief Pramod Muthalik has declared his intention to extend his ideology of hate in Goa, which is known for its communal harmony and religious tolerance. He said that Muthalik’s utterance is extremely provocative and deserves highest condemnation.

“I urge Chief Minister not to allow Muthalik to disturb the communal harmony in Goa,” Singh, who is on a two-day visit to Goa, said.

Muthalik, who was in the State to attend the Hindu convention, has announced that he would launch SRS in Goa by September to fight against the pub, dance and drug culture in the State. He has also given open challenge to BJP-government over restricting or banning his entry into the State. The Hindu leader, during his visit last year had made a hate speech wherein he had appealed to Hindus to keep swords in their houses to defend themselves.

Responding to the question, the AICC leader opposed the right wing organization’s move to make India a Hindu nation stating that India is a secular country where different religion and communities live together in harmony. “Congress party does not support making India a Hindu nation. We have seen the fate of Pakistan after it was declared as Islamic nation. Hence, we can’t be just one religion country. We are a secular country where every religion has equal rights,” he said.

Singh, however, supported the demand for ban on cow slaughter across India claiming that it was the Congress party in 1930 that discussed and deliberated on the issue. He pointed out that there are many States in India including his own state of Madhya Pradesh, where there is ban on cow slaughter in some parts.

The Hindu convention that was attended by over 125 Hindu organizations resolved to demand ban on cow slaughter and establish India and Nepal as Hindu nations.

PANJIM: A day after Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik declared that he would set up his outfit in Goa in September, the opposition Congress on Thursday filed a petition before the Judicial Magistrate First Class pleading that the police be asked to file FIR against Muthalik for trying to incite communal violence in the State.

Muthalik, who during his Goa visit last year through his speech had exhorted the Hindus to keep a sword handy and use it against anti-religious activities, has now openly challenged the State government to ban the entry of SRS into the State. Muthalik was in Goa to attend the All India Hindu Convention, wherein he has warned government of serious consequences if it banned his outfit’s entry that claims to stop the pub culture and immoral activities in Goa.

Congress spokesman Durgadas Kamat has filed the petition before JMFC Panjim, which would be heard on June 30. Speaking to media persons, Kamat said that the petition seeks that Panjim police be asked to file FIR against Muthalik and he should be investigated for his inflammatory speeches.

“Police be directed to file FIR against him and ask them to investigate and take appropriate action to keep intact the secular fabric of the State,” Kamat has said in the petition that has made SP North Priyanka Kashyap and Panjim police inspector Rajendra Prabhu Dessai respondents in the case.

The petitioner has said that Muthalik be booked under section 153, 153-A, 295-A and 505(A) of the Indian Penal Code. The petitioner has also urged the court to direct the police to file a complaint against Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS) under sections of Information Technology Act for posting and then deleting the video of Muthalik’s hate speech on Youtube.

“The intention of Muthalik speech is to create and promote enmity between Hindus on one hand and religious minorities on the other hand. The speech intends to provoke communal tension within the State and it is necessary to stop this person, whose acts may lead to law and order situation in the State,” the petition that has attached complaint copies filed before Panjim police, reads.

The Congress spokesman had earlier filed a complaint with Panjim police pointing out to the speeches made by Muthalik during last year’s All India Hindu Convention, where he had asked Hindus to carry weapons to protect themselves. The police had refused to file FIR stating that “there was no case made out against Muthalik.” Kamat had then filed a complaint before SP North for necessary action.