PANJIM: Sanquelim Municipal Council Chairperson Yeshwant Madkar in a bid to defeat no-confidence motion against him filed a complaint against one of the Opposition councillors Raya Parsekar, to restrain him from participating in the discussion and voting during no-confidence motion fixed on Friday, April 16.
Parsekar has been asked to appear before Urban Development Minister Milind Naik at Vasco at 12.30 pm on Friday, two hours before the no-confidence notice would be taken up for discussion.
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The Opposition Congress Party has accused Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for using dirty tricks to save his face in Sanquelim Constituency.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar said that the Chief Minister was frustrated with the imminent defeat of Chairperson Yeshwant in the no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition councillors has now stooped to a new low by serving a fresh notice to councillor Raya and asking him to appear for hearing at 12.30 pm at Vasco.
Chodankar said that after the High Court of Bombay at Goa gave relief to councillor Rajesh Sawal and allowed him to vote on no-confidence motion on Friday at 2.30 pm, the Chief Minister went into panic mode and served notice of disqualification on another councillor Parsekar late Thursday evening asking him to appear before Urban Development Minister Milind Naik at 12.30 pm. This is an attempt to snatch away democratic right of voting of an elected councillor, he added.
Chodankar charged that the BJP government is all out to finish the democracy in the country and has already adopted dictatorial governance.
The Chief Minister is completely shaken with his lost control of Sanquelim Municipal Council, which falls in his constituency, he said.
According to Chodankar, the government had initially fixed the discussion on the no-confidence motion on April 30 almost 43 days after the notice was served. It was only after the High Court direction that the discussion on no-confidence motion was preponed to April 16.
“We are worried that the Chief Minister may use his powers and try to arrest Raya in an attempt to block his presence during the voting on no-confidence motion. The Chief Minister alone will be responsible for any untoward incident in Sanquelim during no-confidence motion,” warned Chodankar.
The Congress president demanded that the Chief Secretary must keep a watch on the developments and direct the officials to refrain from coming under pressure of the Chief Minister. Chief Secretary must remember that the government officials are already warned by the High Court as well as the Supreme Court in context to ward reservations of five municipal councils, which go to elections on April 23.
Reacting on the happenings, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat said that even after the High Court of Bombay setting things in order, the BJP government is all out to murder democracy in Sanquelim Municipal Council.
