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Home ministry asks governor for Goa papers

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

Following the uproar in Parliament on Thursday over the dismissal of the Congress government by the Goa governor, the Union home ministry has asked for all the relevant papers from Raj Bhavan.

The central government has also asked for copies of local newspapers since Monday, the day the Congress rebels revolted against then chief minister Pratapsingh Rane, to gauge the public opinion in Goa.

Governor retired Lt General J F R Jacob declined to comment on the issue. "It is not proper to make statements when the issue is being debated in the House," a Raj Bhavan official said.

Newly sworn in Chief Minister Dr Wilfred de Souza, however, insists his appointment is legal and constitutional. "The Congress government was dismissed only when the governor was convinced that Rane was using illegal methods to save his seat," he said.

Rane, while countering BJP spokesman M Venkaiah Naidu’s statement on Thursday that he had not won the confidence motion in the assembly, asked how the financial business he had taken up the next day was accepted by the governor. The assembly was prorogued by Governor Jacob, after accepting the passage of the finance bill.

Though Opposition MPs have demanded the governor's recall, local residents believe General Jacob should have dismissed the Rane government on Tuesday itself, when Speaker Thomazinho Cardoz got the confidence motion 'passed.'

Only eight MLAs were needed to split the Congress party; Dr de Souza's breakaway group consisted of ten legislators. But after the rebellion became public on Monday morning, five MLAs were expelled by state Congress president Shantaram Naik with retrospective effect from Friday. This was meant to reduce the rebels' ranks to five, less than one third of the Congress legislature party, and indicated that the dissidents did not have the required strength for a split under the anti-defection law.

It followed two disqualification petitions filed before the speaker, one against the five and another one against all ten members of the splinter group led by Dr de Souza.

In order to help Rane win the vote of confidence on Tuesday, Cardoz acted upon the petition against the ten rebels and passed an interim order restraining them from entering the House. The motion was passed amidst chaos; the speaker could not cite precedent or provision for his action.

The interim order, which was confirmed the following day, was immediately challenged in the high court, arguing that the speaker had no authority to pass such an order. The court is expected to deliver its verdict on Monday.

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