SC adjourns hearing Parrikar's petition

NEW DELHI: As the Supreme Court on Friday adjourned till March 7 hearing in sacked Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar''s petition against his dismissal by Governor SC Jamir on February 2 night, Congress'' Pratap Sinh Rane scraped through the confidence vote by a razor thin margin of one vote.
Keen to get the outcome of special session convened by controversial Governor Jamir, a Bench of Chief Justice R C Lahoti and Justice D M Dharmadhikari said "we want to watch the developments in Goa today".
Rane Government won the vote of confidence motion with the aid of pro-tem Speaker Fransisco Sardinha''s casting vote following 16-16 tie in the count of heads.
BJP stalwart and former Chief Minister Parrikar''s petition would be heard on merit disregarding the outcome of Friday session, the Bench had assured Parrikar''s counsel and former Attorney General Soli J Sorabjee.
"We are not saying the petition would become infructuous. We propose to hear it on merit," the Bench said suggesting that the matter could be placed before a seven-judge Bench for adjudication of Governor Jamir''s February 2 decision.
Jamir had dismissed Parrikar Government within hours of it winning a controversial trust vote and sworn-in a Congress Government headed by Rane.
Sorabjee said the issues raised by Parrikar assumed greater significance in view of the controversial decision taken by Jhakhand Governor Sibte Rizi inviting Shibu Soren to form Government in Jharkhand.
"In the context of what is happening in other parts of the country, the issue raised by Parrikar assumes significance and need to be expeditiously decided,''Sorabjee pleaded.
On Sorabjee''s plea for an interim order restraining the Rane Government from taking any policy decision, the Bench declined it and said in a lighter vein "who will take a policy decision when the Assembly is passing through such a situation?"