New Delhi: The Congress-led Opposition, on Friday, forced adjournment in the Upper House demanding a discussion on the role of Goa governor Mridula Sinha in formation of government in Goa. Congress MP Digvijay Singh raised the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha asking for a discussion on the issue. He had given a notice under Rule 267 seeking setting aside of the business of the day to take up “gross constitutional impropriety committed by governor of Goa”.
Mr Singh mentioned an interview in which Ms Sinha was quoted as having said that she did not expect the BJP to form the government, but spoke to a senior Central Cabinet minister before arriving at the decision to call the party to form the government ahead of the Congress, which had emerged as the single largest party in elections.
CPI(M) MP Sitaram Yechury also raised the issue that a Cabinet minister is responsible to the House. Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the government is ready to discuss if the Congress was to bring a substantive motion. He went on to say that the Opposition, through its continued protests, was insulting the verdict of the people as also the ruling of the Chair. Congress members then trooped into the Well shouting slogans against what they said was a murder of democracy. The treasury benches also countered the slogans. Deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha P.K. Kurien said the conduct of a governor can be discussed only on the basis of a substantive motion and disallowed Digvijay Sin-gh’s notice under 267. “Why don’t you move a substantive motion? I have to go by rules. You can bring a substantive moti-on, and the chairman will consider it,” Prof Kurien said. The Congress plans to bring a substantive motion to discuss the conduct of the Goa governor on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Congress demanded that the President should sack the Goa governor. “We urge the President to exercise his powers and immediately dismiss the Goa governor like the Arunachal Pradesh governor,” Congress spokesperson Partap Singh Bajwa said.
