PANJIM: Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Friday dismissed the applications filed by two MLAs Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat seeking to cross examine the petitioner Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Patkar orally in the disqualification matter.
Both the respondents had filed two separate applications dated January 10, 2024, seeking permission to cross examine Patkar and to lead evidence. The duo had stated that they wanted to confront the petitioner with some statements made on July 10, 2022 and that they further wanted to produce media bytes by Dinesh Gundu Rao, (the then AICC observer).
Patkar’s counsel Adv Abhijit Gosavi had strongly opposed both the applications claiming that they were filed to delay the disqualification petition filed against both the rebel Congress MLAs. He demanded that the case be decided fast and that statement was also made before the High Court of Bombay at Goa that the matter would be decided early. Adv Gosavi pointed out that these were summary proceedings under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution and had to be completed in a time-bound manner.
The Speaker in his order did not allow cross examining Patkar and for leading evidence since the petitioner had not led any oral evidence. Secondly the Speaker said that if oral evidence was permitted then the proceedings will be further prolonged. The present petition required to be disposed off immediately.
The Speaker stated that oral evidence may continue for long time by virtue of lengthy cross examination and as such it was not feasible to allow such applications. The case will be decided based on the pleadings and the documentary, the Speaker said and rejected the both the applications.
Patkar had filed the disqualification petition against the then Leader of the Opposition Michael Lobo and Margao Digambar Kamat in September 2022, for voluntarily giving up membership of the Congress Party.
