BJP asks governor to direct speaker to accept no-confidence motion

Panaji, Mar 20 (UNI) The opposition party BJP has urged governor S C Jamir to direct speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly Pratapsingh Rane to ''accept'' the no-confidence motion moved against the latter a fortnight ago.

''The governor has powers under article 175(2) of the constitution of India to direct the speaker to take up the notice of motion for removal of the speaker,'' the opposition leader Manohar Parrikar told mediapersons here today.

He had threatened to approach the Supreme Court if the governor failed to discharge his constitutional obligation.

''I will therefore have no option but to move the supreme court of India as this is nothing short of a constitutional defiance resorted to and practised by the speaker to ensure his own survival through unconstitutional and illegal means,'' he said in his letter to the governor.

''The first notice of motion sent to the speaker on March 7 was not accepted on the grounds that it was not dated and written, though the speaker had no right to do so. It was for the office of the speaker to decide,'' he said.

The party legislators had served second notice against the speaker but the office was reluctant to acknowledge it apparently on the instructions of the speaker.

''This behaviour of the staff and the speaker is arbitrary, capricious and smacks of autocratic behaviour which is most unconstitutional,'' Mr Parrikar said.

The notice cited four reasons for removal of the speaker. They were failure to conduct business in impartial manner and as per the constitution of India, failure to give justice to the opposition, failure to ensure proper representation to the opposition on various committees.

Another reason was protecting the government by unnecessary delay in voting on grants and exceeding powers of speaker under the tenth schedule of the constitution, by withholding voting rights of MLAs on motion of confidence of the government, he added.

UNI BM SR SB HT2015