The Hindu : National : Row over remark on ex-Governor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004

National

National

Row over remark on ex-Governor

By Our Staff Reporter

PANAJI, JULY 5. An uncharitable remark made on Saturday by a senior member of the Opposition on outgoing Governor Kidar Nath Sahani not only made the ruling BJP to force adjournment of the Assembly for the day on Monday, but also found support from the Congress Legislature Party, which said Mr. Sahani deserved the remark.

The occasion was that Opposition MLAs was informally chatting with the press after the swearing-in ceremony of Mohammed Fazal as Governor of Goa on Saturday. Commenting on Mr. Sahani's statement that he did not own a house to move in, one MLA said the Governor was mum when hundreds of people were rendered homeless in the Baina demolition. Then, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Dayanand Narvekar, said that the Government could rehabilitate Mr. Sahani under a Baina package, which is being offered to commercial sex workers and other labours. It was promptly reported in the local media.

State BJP president and MLA for Vasco-da-Gama, Rajendra Arlekar, moved two calling attention motions — one to ask Mr. Narvekar to withdraw the statement and the other to deprecate the manner in which Mr. Sahani was dismissed. When the House assembled, he pressed for suspension of question hour and to take up the motions. Speaker Vishwas Satarkar, however, attempted to proceed with the listed business. This made the treasury bench members to troop to the well of the House, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for half-an-hour. This was repeated again. When the House met for the third time at 3.30 pm, some of the unrelenting ruling party members even squatted in the well and Mr. Satarkar had to adjourn the House for the day.

Speaking to reporters in between adjournments, the Leader of the Opposition, Pratap Singh Rane, wondered who were in the ruling party and who were in the Opposition.

Referring to the Calling Attention Motion as Adjournment Motion, Mr. Rane said such a motion could be moved only after question hour. He said Mr. Narvekar's statement was with regard to a person who was no more a Governor.

Intervening, Mr. Narvekar defended his words and said, "There would have been breach of propriety had I stated it a day before."

He went on to say that Mr. Sahani deserved such a remark as he had always treated the Opposition MLAs shabbily whenever they approached him with some grievance. "It is my freedom of expression and I'll not apologise," he asserted.

The Congress spokesperson and MLA for Pernem Jitendra Deshprabhu said Mr. Narvekar has extended a nice proposition and all Congress MLAs back his statement.

He went on to allege that Mr. Sahani was busy visiting temples and performing poojas when he was the Governor and was least bothered to visit places of public importance.

Mr. Arlekar later told reporters that the party would press for a ruling on the motions and it would be satisfied only when Mr. Narvekar withdraws his statement.

He said the statement was unbecoming of a member of the House.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National