PANAJI
Responding to the setback in the Bombay High Court at Goa, the State government has announced that it would approach the Supreme Court to seek a stay on the order.
“We have decided that we will file an SLP in the Supreme Court against this order. We are of the view that no sooner was the election process imminent, the Court should not have interfered. Cases can be filed after the election process is complete,” Advocate General Devidas Pangam told the Court.
“There are many precedents from the Supreme Court which have ruled that when the elections are near, courts should not interfere. We are going to the Supreme Court on this principle. We will file it as soon as possible,” he said.
Opposition political parties have however said that the Goa government’s decision to challenge the order of the High Court was on expected lines.
Earlier the Bombay High Court at Goa refused to keep its order in abeyance allowing the State Government to approach the Supreme Court.
“We have also clarified that by interfering at this stage, not accepting the argument of the learned advocate general that the elections are imminent, we have ensured that the election programme which would be notified after rectifying the order issued by the Director thereby prescribing the reservation in different wards of the Municipal Councils, it is done with utmost promptitude, so that the entire election process is completed on or before 15th April, 2021,” the High Court ruled.
“In such circumstances, we have in no way interfered with or protracted the election process notified by the Election Commission, but in noting the infraction of the constitutional provision and of rotation policy, we are advancing the process in accordance with the mandate of law of the election. In fact, grant of any stay at this stage, would further delay the process. In such circumstances, we are not inclined to accept the request made by the Advocate General for grant of stay and reject the same,” the High Court said.
