Congress sees no scope for President's rule in Goa

New Delhi, Aug 1 (UNI) Disagreeing with reports that Goa has been moving towards President's rule, the Congress Party today said it did see not any such possibility at this moment.

"There is no such issue in Goa or instability to its government,"AICC Spokesman Abishek Manu Singhvi told mediapersons here today.

He refused to comment on the Supreme Court decision to hear on August 6 petitions filed by two Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) MLAs from Goa challenging the decision of the Assembly Speaker Pratapsinh Rane disqualifying them from voting in the House on July 30 when Chief Minister Digambar Kamat sought a vote of confidence.

Dr Singhvi defended the action of the Speaker saying that he had acted within his powers under the tenth Schedule of the Constitution when he passed an "interim order" restraining rebel Congress MLA Victoria Fernandes and two Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) members from voting on the motion of confidence moved by the Chief Minister.

He said the Congress had filed a complaint before the Speaker against Ms Fernandes on July 25 seeking her disqualification for defying party whip on the floor of the house the previous day.

The two MGP MLAs had written a letter supposedly withdrawing support to the Congress government, though the party had not withdrawn the resolution adopted at the its General Council meeting pledging support to the Kamat government. A complaint had also been filed before the Speaker against the two MGP MLAs who had acted at variance with the stand of their party.

Since a decision on the two issues were pending before the Speaker, he had issued an interim order on July 30.

Dr Singhvi said there was nothing wrong in the Speaker casting his vote to break the tie when there was equality of votes.

UNI