Opposition guns for Goa governor, raises ‘call’ to Jaitley

NEW DELHI: Congress members attacked the Centre in the

Rajya Sabha

over the reported interview of Goa governor Mridula Sinha in which she supposedly revealed having spoken to finance minister Arun Jaitley before inviting BJP leader Manohar Parrikar to form the government in the state.

Raising the issue on Friday, Congress MPs said such a conduct on the part of the governor was downright unconstitutional and pointed to the “behind-the-scenes” role of the central government in the formation of the BJP government in Goa.

Demanding an immediate discussion on events relating to Goa politics, Congress MPs entered the well and also raised the matter in the Lok Sabha.

Their protests forced deputy chairperson

P J Kurien

to adjourn the House for about half an hour.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh raised the issue during zero hour, quoting portions of Sinha’s interview, and criticised the decision to invite the BJP to form the government despite the Congress being the single largest party.

Singh’s demand was turned down by Kurien, who said, “The governor's conduct can only be discussed on the basis of a substantive motion.” Parliamentary affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas

Naqvi

sought to counter the opposition, saying the government is ready for a discussion on a substantive motion.

The BJP benches said that the Congress had failed to get the trust of the people and did not have a majority to form the government in the state. Naqvi said the Congress will have to pay a bigger price for not accepting the people’s mandate and also challenging the decision of the chair in the House.

In the Lok Sabha, leader of the Congress Mallikarjun Kharge said the country is heading towards “dictatorship” as he claimed that the government in Goa was installed ignoring that his party had the most numbers. Congress leaders sought to raise the issue during a discussion on Budget grants for the home ministry, arguing that the governor’s office is linked to the ministry. But the Speaker had previously ruled that the governor’s conduct cannot be discussed in the House.