PANJIM: Adding more fuel to the fire and ratcheting up the open fire-fight within the Congress, GPCC President John Fernandes said that he would ensure that there is change in the legislative party leadership, provided the MLAs recommend it.
Fernandes, simultaneously, sought to distance himself from the bribery allegations and the FIR filed against Leader of Opposition Pratapsing Rane and his son and Valpoi MLA Vishwajit.
Fernandes, who is currently at loggerheads with Rane, said “the party will not come to the rescue of any of its members or leaders, if prima facie they are found involved in any illegalities”. He said the party does find ‘political vilification’ in most of the cases filed against Congress MLAs. Congress MLAs like the Ranes, Digambar Kamat, Chandrakant Kavalekar are being investigated under various corruption charges.
Addressing media persons, Fernandes said PCC will never interfere in the functioning of the party’s legislative wing. “The decision to change the Leader of Opposition solely depends on the MLAs. I cannot speak on it. But if MLAs come with the recommendation that they want change in the leadership, I will make sure that it gets implemented within one day,” he said. Rane has always been on the edge with few of his own colleagues often raising demands for change in leadership.
When asked about the alleged bribery case involving senior and junior Rane, Fernandes said, “I have distanced myself from that case… I have not made any allegations against Rane… it is a case filed based on a mine owner’s allegation”. The Congress leader, however, stated that the move of special investigating team objecting to Rane’s bail plea on the eve of Assembly session was nothing but ‘political vilification’.
A mine owner B Naik had accused Ranes of demanding Rs 10 crore to grant a mining lease way back in 2004. Taking suo moto cognizance, SIT had filed an FIR against Pratapsing and Vishwajit. The CBI court has granted interim bail to both till August 1.
