Congmen enraged over President's rule

| 05 March 2005 17:53 IST

Enraged Congressmen from Goa are planning to meet the central leaders in next two days, protesting against the sudden imposition of the President’s rule, in spite of winning the confidence vote.

South Goa MP Churchill Alemao today blasted union minister Shivaraj Patil for making Goa the scapegoat to save Jharkhand, by imposing the President’s rule.

Though Goa PCC chief Luizinho Faleiro has publicly welcomed the decision of imposing the President’s rule by the centre, none of the Congress leaders are happy with the sudden announcement.

Jitendra Deshprabhu, the party spokesman, also said they are meeting the central leaders to chalk out the by-election strategy. However, sources confirmed that it would be a protest visit.

“It is not fair to allow Jharkhand and punish Goa in spite of winning the confidence vote in a democratic manner”, said fuming Alemao. He demands that the President’s rule be revoked and Pratapsing Rane government be restored.

Rather than blaming the whole central leadership, they have decided to target only Patil. Even central leaders like AICC general secretary Margaret Alva and Priyaranjan Das Munshi are reportedly upset with the sudden decision. Both of them had been monitoring the month-long game of bringing Congress to the power.

Rane had won the confidence vote on Friday by 17-16, after protem speaker Francisco Sardinha had cast a vote after tie. He had earlier restrained United Goans Democratic Party legislator Mathany Saldhana from voting, issuing ad-interim order on his disqualification petition.

Union home minister Patil had objected to not allowing Saldhana to vote, describing it as the similar act the BJP supporter speaker Vishwas Satarkar not to allow Philip Neri Rodrigues, when BJP-led Manohar Parrikar had moved the trust vote on 2 February.

Goa’s former MP Shantaram Naik also blamed Patil for publicly accusing the Congressmen in Goa when even the BJP had allowed smooth voting in the House.

“Why did Patil keep quite when the BJP tried to lift Philp Neri Rodrigues to help Manohar Parrikar to win the trust vote and take action against the Congress when no such thing was done”, he asked.

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