PORVORIM: On Friday, Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar initiated a breach of privilege notice against former Minister Prakash Velip, alleging that Velip had accused him of ‘targeting’ Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude during the session. Tawadkar also advised the media to exercise caution in reporting such incidents while the Assembly session is ongoing.
During the Zero Hour in the Legislative Assembly, Tawadkar announced the move, stating that Velip had tarnished the dignity of the Speaker’s office by making baseless allegations. He declared that Velip would be summoned to the House to apologise for his actions.
The incident originated from Velip’s press conference in Panjim on Thursday, where, as the president of the United Tribals Association Alliance (UTAA), he made severe allegations against Tawadkar. Velip accused Tawadkar of showing bias against Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude and referenced schools in Tawadkar’s Canacona aconstituency.
Earlier, the Speaker had accused certain cultural organisations in his constituency of financial misconduct in the presence of some panchayat members from Canacona taluka.
