PANJIM: Former Power Minister Aleixo Sequeira was on Saturday suspended from the Congress party for anti-party activities, pending disciplinary action.
“He was also involved in toppling the then Congress government and making Manohar Parrikar chief minister. The same was openly admitted by Sequeira on the party platform in Nuvem during Lok Sabha election campaign, that he and chief minister are very close friends,” the order signed by GPCC president John Fernandes says.
The suspension comes a day after Sequeira openly demanded removal of party president Fernandes.
The order states that former legislator Sequeira has been placed under suspension as a member of Congress party until appropriate disciplinary action proceedings against him are completed. The order has been issued under the bye laws of Congress constitution. Necessary disciplinary proceedings will be initiated against him and a show cause notice will be issued shortly,” Fernandes informed the media.
Addressing a press conference Saturday evening, GPCC general secretary Pratima Coutinho said that the party has observed that the anti-party activities in the south Goa district Congress committee office was initiated and directed by Sequeira.
The anti-party activities were said to be going on through former south Goa district Congress president Subhash Faldessai, who is currently placed under suspension after a complaint against him, was filed by party south Goa candidate Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco.
“Faldessai kept the party office closed on the day of election and despite being the election agent of the south Goa candidate did not carry out any campaign,” she said.
“Sequeira’s outburst in the press, confirms the party’s suspicions that he was the real culprit in directing the Congressmen against the party and he wanted his alleged illegal hotel on the Salcete coast to be legalized,” the order stated.
This is the third suspension made by the party after the embarrassing Lok Sabha defeat, while another three of its bigwigs are under the scanner. Former Youth Congress president Valanka Alemao was the first to be suspended by the National Youth Congress for her anti party activities, followed by Faldessai and now Sequeira.
Former Home Minister and north Goa candidate Ravi Naik, former MP Francisco Sardinha and former minister Joaquim Alemao are currently facing disciplinary proceedings.
When asked as to why no action has been initiated against Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho, who has been openly praising the BJP government, Coutinho said ‘the action against him would be known at the time of giving the nomination (ticket) for 2017 assembly elections.”
Coutinho said that the party leadership is now working on motivating young cadres and enforcing discipline within the party. “People are now looking for a change,” she said.
