PANAJI
Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai on Tuesday tendered an unconditional apology in the Legislative Assembly, taking moral responsibility for the protest staged in the visitors’ gallery over the Mirabag Bandhara issue last Friday.
The apology followed Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar’s directive asking Sardesai to apologise within 24 hours or face action after an inquiry alleged that the incident had been orchestrated by him.
Speaking in the House, Sardesai said the inquiry had been conducted “behind my back” without hearing his side, which he said violated principles of natural justice. “An incident should not be condemned without listening to all sides,” he said.
He admitted that visitor passes had been issued by his staff but denied instigating the protest, adding that he had not anticipated any disruptive action in the Assembly gallery. “The inquiry does not suggest that I instigated this. In today’s time, politicians can also be victims of conspiracies to tarnish their image,” Sardesai said.
He said that as a people’s representative it was his duty to address citizens’ concerns and that MLAs are permitted to issue visitor passes. However, he maintained that legislators cannot control the conduct of visitors once passes are issued.
“If I had known about their behaviour, would I have given them the pass?” he asked.
Sardesai also noted that while MLAs may issue passes, the authority to grant entry into the Assembly rests with the Speaker. If legislators are expected to be held responsible for visitors’ conduct, the Assembly should consider framing clear rules on such accountability, he added.
“As sought by the Speaker, I take moral responsibility and express my unconditional apology and regret,” Sardesai said.
