PANAJI
A day after five of its eleven MLAs raised a rebellion of sorts, the Opposition Congress has said it has moved to seek disqualification of two of its senior leaders -- Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat.
According to Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar the disqualification notice was filed before the Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar for action against Lobo and Kamat.
Tawadkar however feigned ignorance over the disqualification pleas of the Congress.
"I don't know. I have not reached my office. I will see tomorrow morning," Tawadkar told the media as he was leaving the Assembly complex after adjourning the House for the day.
Earlier, Patkar said the disqualification petitions have been filed against both the MLAs as they have "voluntarily given up membership of the party."
"Disqualification petitions have been filed against both the MLAs as they have voluntarily given up membership of the party. There is a Supreme Court judgment which states that any anti-party activity amounts to giving up of the membership of the party," Patkar said.
He claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) alleged efforts to split the Congress had failed. "The BJP is resorting to such tactics as it does not want any Opposition in the States where they are ruling," the State Congress chief said.
He also said the move by the BJP to split the Congress Legislative Party had failed as it could not muster the required numbers of legislators needed to do so without attracting anti-defection law provisions.
"The BJP wanted to repeat what they have done in Maharashtra through money and muscle power. We ensured on Sunday that the defection in our party stops," Patkar said.
“BJP is an anti-democracy party. We need to save democracy from being trampled upon by BJP,” he said.
