The Hindu : Other States / Goa News : Parrikar Government wins trust vote

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Thursday, Feb 03, 2005

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Parrikar Government wins trust vote

By Anil Sastry

PANAJI, FEB. 2. The Manohar Parrikar Government in Goa won the vote of confidence amid high drama that unfolded in the State Assembly soon after tea break here today. According to the Speaker, Vishwas Satarkar, the motion moved by Mr. Parrikar seeking confidence of the House on his Government was passed by 18 to six votes.

Everything was going on smoothly when the House met at 2.30 p.m. at the Assembly Complex at Porvorim near here, after the Governor, S.C. Jamir, convened an emergency session directing Mr. Parrikar to seek a vote of confidence.

The Speaker had reportedly assured the Governor that all the 36 members would be allowed to enter the House, amid reports that the independent MLA, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, against whom a disqualification petition was pending, would be disqualified before the House assembled.

When the House reassembled at 5 pm, Mr. Satarkar asked Mr. Neri to withdraw from the House under Rule 289 of the Business Rules, prompting the entire Opposition to protest in a single voice. When the Speaker repeated his order and directed the Marshal to physically remove Mr. Neri, some Congress members formed a human fort around Mr. Neri to protect him, while some other members were seen pushing the Marshals away.

In the melee, Mr. Satarkar announced that he would put the motion to vote, making the Congress members to rush back to their seat.

However, they again came back to protect Mr. Neri who was being taken out of the House and the Speaker declared that the motion was passed by the House before adjourning it.

Neri defied Speaker's order

Mr. Satarkar later told The Hindu that Mr. Neri persistently disobeyed his order to make a personal appearance before him in connection with a disqualification petition filed against the latter. "I had called him at 10 am, 2 pm and 4.30 pm to my Chamber and he did not turn up," he said.

"As such, I considered it as disorderly behaviour on the premises of the House and asked him to withdraw from the House," Mr. Satarkar maintained.

He further said Congress members resorted to violence and assault on the marshal and affected the conduct of the House.

There was no way but to put the motion to vote, as they did not heed to my request to maintain decorum of the House, he said.

He did not pass any order disqualifying Mr. Neri nor directed him to abstain from voting, he said. Mr. Satarkar further maintained that Speaker was supreme as far as the legislature was concerned.

`Democratic norms flouted'

The Congress members maintained that the action of the Speaker was in violation of the set principles of democracy. They said Mr. Satarkar had thrown all norms to the winds and allowed himself to be manipulated by the ruling front. "Democracy has been trampled in the House," they shouted and rushed to the Raj Bhavan to complain to the Governor.

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