Living up to his penchant for wisecracks at opponents, Vijai Sardesai came up with this gem when the discussion got heated on the resolution seeking the scrapping of the three linear projects -- Nilesh Cabral 'kantar sutlo' (escaped on a dangerous edge).
Sardesai's reference was to the wafer-thin few hundred odd votes' margin that Cabral won his Curchorem seat when in the past he used to garner massive several thousand votes' leads. He sought to attribute the win by the skin of his teeth to Cabral's consistent and stout defence of the three linear projects against which public sentiment is growing ever so louder.
Not one to take the insult lying down, the otherwise affable Cabral sprung to his feet and laced his retort with friendly advice for Sardesai: "Don't worry about me. Worry about yourself. Introspect why you had to embrace the party you have been cursing and how you have been reduced from three to one."
The duo, despite the heat of the moment, laughed off the exchange of wisecracks with a hearty laugh, in which almost the entire House joined in.
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Opportunistic 'scorpion' (WITH PIC)
When Michael Lobo was removed as leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on the eve of the ongoing monsoon session, the party had said, it would announce the name of his replacement in the next day or two.
It's now more than 10 days and there's no sign of Michael's replacement. Neither is there any urgency or eagerness to be in the race for the post visible among any of the nine (yup that's the number with Lobo and Digambar Kamat eliminated) Congress MLAs.
But there is, it seems, someone with an uncontrollable urge to crawl up to Lobo's position in the corridors of the sprawling Goa legislative assembly complex. A scorpion.
The other day, the chamber of the Leader of Opposition saw a burst of commotion with staff zooming in and out. To us journos it aroused our curiosity. Turns out it was a scorpion. A scorpion scorpion and not the two-legged ones who are in the habit of stinging their own.
Legislature Secretariat staff spotted it, took it away from Lobo's cabin and released it in the vegetation behind the complex.
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Vijay Aso (WITH VIJAI PIC)
If asked to pick a favourite legislator who rocked the ongoing assembly session then our bets would easily be on Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai. That should be a no brainer.
Among the bunch of 15 Opposition MLAs, he was the only one who appeared to have that fire in the belly to take on the government on issues.
Sharp and witty, Vijai had the wherewithal to take on some of the well-experienced members of the treasury benches.
Can one forget the famous debate on the repairs of Kala Academy which brought out gems like ‘Taj Mahal’ and ‘Shah Jahan’ and gave Sardesai a handle to coin the phrase “Taj Mahal model” against the government?
His favourite line, however, was “anka kolso zai” to rub it in on the treasury benches.
On several occasions he was also found shepherding the new MLAs acting as a de facto leader of opposition.
One must also not discount the fact that majority of the opposition legislators were first-timers and this was the first assembly session for them.
Among the new lot, Cuncolim MLA, Yuri Alemao was impressive not forgetting the eloquent former Advocate General Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira and the unstoppable Benaulim MLA, Venzy Viegas.
Well, well! By now everyone must be saying what’s wrong with us and why are we so enamoured with the Fatorda guy.
Rest assured. There's nothing of that sort. We just believe in giving the devil his due!
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Delilah's 'doles' (WITH DELILAH PIC)
A new set of 'unparliamentary' words has left members of Parliament flummoxed in the course of the monsoon session which began on Monday.
These new list of words declared unparliamentary by the Parliament's Secretariat apart from ‘jumlajeevi’, ‘baal buddhi’, ‘Covid spreader’ and ‘Snoopgate’ also includes commonly used words like ‘ashamed’, ‘abused, ‘betrayed’, ‘corrupt’, ‘drama’, ‘hypocrisy’ and ‘incompetent’.
This new list which was publicised by the Lok Sabha Secretariat has infected MPs, especially from the Opposition benches, with the bug of uncertainty on word usage in the House.
The other day when Siolim MLA, Delilah Lobo used the word 'doles' to describe the benefits under the DSS scheme and some other welfare measures of the government, one would have thought it would pass. It didn't.
Legislative Affairs Minister, Nilesh Cabral, sprung to his feet to interrupt Delilah, raising a point of order. 'Dole' he said was an inappropriate word.
"Our government does not give doles. We give benefits under schemes. The member should withdraw the word 'dole' or it should be expunged from the records Speaker sir," Cabral rumbled.
Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar readily obliged. Promptly came the written missive from the Editor Debates of the Goa legislative assembly to us journos that 'Doles' had been expunged from Delilah's submissions.
Clearly the bug of unparliamentary words has travelled at lightning speed from Sansad Marg to Porvorim.
(Compiled by Ashley do Rosario with inputs from Agnelo Pereira)
