the goan I network
MAPUSA:
Contending that any Indian can unfurl the national flag, Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo said it was the Chief Minister’s prerogative to decide who can unfurl the tricolour in his absence.
“Any Indian can unfurl the flag. But now this is a state function. The CM has decided…May be he has decided in the right direction,” Lobo said.
The deputy speaker was responding to a query whether it was appropriate for the CM to direct the Speaker to unfurl the national flag on Independence Day, when senior ministers could be entrusted the task.
“It’s the prerogative of the CM. I don’t want to comment anymore,” the deputy speaker said.
Objecting to the decision, the State Congress a couple of days back wrote to the Governor Mridula Sinha asking her to hoist the flag instead of allowing the Speaker, Pramod Sawant to unfurl the tricolour.
On Monday again, the GPCC president Girish Chodankar wrote to Speaker Pramod Sawant to desist from hoisting the national flag at the State function. Chodankar urged the Speaker to direct the executive to select the senior-most minister to do the job as it was a government function.
“The office of the Speaker is an independent authority. The Speaker is required to be non-partisan and therefore cannot substitute the CM,” Chodankar said.
