The Hindu : Congress seeks dismissal of Parrikar Government

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 28, 2004

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National

Congress seeks dismissal of Parrikar Government

PANAJI, MARCH 27. With barely four days left for the election process to be set in motion in Goa, the Opposition Congress today demanded the dismissal of the Manohar Parrikar Government for alleged violation of constitutional provisions, including fundamental rights, over the alleged surveillance of candidates.

``The Supreme Court has also held that surveillance of any person without authority of law is a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution,'' an eight-member delegation of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) headed by its president, Luizinho Faleiro, told the Governor, Kedar Nath Sahani, at the Raj Bhavan here.

Briefing mediapersons later, he said the party was also thinking of filing a writ petition in the court as the issue related to violation of fundamental rights.

``If the Governor accords written permission, the GPCC will proceed against the Chief Minister as per law. We will even approach the President after awaiting the Governor's response to our plea for dismissal of the government,'' Mr. Faleiro said.Stating that the Governor gave a patient hearing and responded positively, the party delegation urged Mr. Sahani ``to take up this matter with utmost seriousness.''

``We demanded that the BJP-led coalition government headed by Mr. Parrikar be immediately dismissed to uphold the Constitution.''

Referring to the controversial memo issued by an Assistant Police Inspector of the State Intelligence Department, directing his subordinates to keep a tab on opposition leaders and ``surveillance'' over candidates seeking election, he said the memo amounted to ``direct invasion of the right of privacy.''

The memo, he told the Governor, was issued on the ``diktats'' of Mr. Parrikar, who also holds the Home portfolio, and demonstrated the Government's failure to protect the fundamental rights of the people.

He said the Parrikar Government had been systematically targeting the Opposition legislators and workers ever since it came to power in May 2002.

UNI

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