Session on Eid day was decision of ALL: Arlekar
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 16 October 2013 17:04 IST
Speaker Rajendra Arlekar has made it clear that the decision to conduct Assembly session on the day of Eid was supported by all the members, without any objections.
He also expressed regrets that the issue was being politicized by using the Assembly.
The nine-member Congress and independent Vijay Sardesai today boycotted the session in protest of not declaring holiday on the occasion of Eid, blaming the BJP government for it.
However, speaker Arlekar said there was no single objection raised till yesterday by any of these members, except Margao MLA Digambar Kamat at the last minute.
Providing a chronology of the whole issue, Arlekar said the holiday of Eid was considered right in the beginning when the bulletin providing time table of the Assembly session was issued by Goa governor.
Later, the Business Advisory Committee met on 25 September to finalise the business, the meeting of which was attended by leaders of all the parties as well as opposition leader Pratapsing Rane.
The issue was discussed once again 15 days ago, he said, when the date of Eid got shifted from 14 to 16 October.
Nobody at all these three stages objected to running session on 16 October, but in fact agreed to have session on this day as it was difficult to change the whole business last minute.
“The BAC report was submitted in the House on 9 October and was adopted by the whole House without any objection”, the Speaker observed.
He also denied the contention of the Congress, who said they met the speaker yesterday.
“Only Digambar Kamat came to me at around 3.30 pm and whispered in my ears, suggesting considering if some changes could be made. But it was not possible last minute”, said Arlekar.
Aleixo Reginald Lourenco, when asked why no Congressman raised the issue till yesterday since 9 October and why the BAC report was accepted, he gave a different reply while talking to goanews.com.
“The BAC report is a different issue. Everything is done in consultation with the BJP government and that is why we are objecting”, he said, but did not comment on why they accepted the BAC report without objections.
He also denied that his leader Rane was a part of the decision right from the beginning.
