PORVORIM/PANJIM: The high voltage drama over Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte’s arrest continued within and outside the Goa Legislative Assembly on Friday, with Opposition MLAs demanding the arrest of BJP spokesperson Premanand Mhambhrey for a ‘false complaint’ against Khaunte.
As expected, the concluding day of the Budget session of Assembly ended on a chaotic note on Friday. The united opposition, upset over the Speaker’s reluctance to heed to their demand, thereafter met Governor Satya Pal Malik seeking his intervention.
A four-page memorandum to the Governor condemned the act of the Speaker and the police in taking action against Khaunte without verification.
“It is condemnable that Speaker granted permission to do so (arrest of Khaunte) in a rather cavalier manner, for an offence which is minor and bailable and without even demanding a preliminary inquiry report into the matter to verify that a prima facie case exists. In any case the police ought to have issued a notice of appearance under Section 41 A of CrPC before effecting any arrest,” an extract of the memorandum states.
The MLAs informed the Governor that senior Congress MLA Pratapsingh Rane was accompanying Khaunte and was a witness to the interaction with Khaunte and Mhambhrey. Rane denied any threat to Mhambhrey, while he claimed that the complaint against Khaunte is false.
They also brought to the notice of the Governor that there was no satisfactory answer or explanation in the Assembly on Thursday despite raising the issue on the floor of the House. The MLAs were instead marshalled out and the Budget was presented in the absence of the Opposition.
“We therefore request you Sir to take cognisance of the above and seek your immediate intervention to prevent the murder of democracy and help preserve the democratic principles enshrined in our Constitution by directing the government to immediately lodge a complaint against the bogus complainant and subsequently conduct an inquiry which will include taking the deposition of the senior most MLA of the House Pratapsingh Rane who has been a witness to the incident,” the memorandum, signed by all the MLAs of united opposition, states.
The Governor, they said, has assured the MLAs to raise the issue with the government.
Earlier in the day, when the Assembly began at 11.30am, the MLAs went to the well of the House alleging Khaunte’s arrest as illegal. To this Speaker Rajesh Patnekar told the House that his arrest was allowed based on the police report.
As the opposition continued to disrupt the proceedings of the House, the Speaker adjourned it till 12.30pm. The Assembly resumed with Deputy Speaker Isidore Fernandes in the Chair but as disturbance continued Khaunte and GFP MLA Vijai Sardesai were marshalled out, while the other eight followed them and staged a walk-out.
