Panaji: Hours after demanding President’s Rule in the State for failure by ministers to stand by the Oath they had taken during Swearing in, Congress spokesman Ramakant Khalap hurriedly issued clarification claiming he was misinterpreted.
The calls were made to various newspaper organizations asking them not to use demand of President’s Rule. www.goanewshub.com was the first website to break the story based on the audio clip that we have.
Khalap has clearly demanded President’s Rule in the State. Quoting Mr Khalap he told reporters in Congress House:
“This is the Oath that every minister has to take. If you are not well, if you are sick, if you are not able to pay any attention to your duties as a minister, you are expected to perform, there is violation of Oath taken by the minister. And if there is a violation of Oath taken by the ministers, it tentamounts to failure of Constitutional machinery and the failure of constitutional machinery leads to only one aspect, dismissal of the government, taking over of the government, President’s Rule.”
This is a part of his press conference. And for our readers, down is the detail of his press conference, word to word what he said. It is for our readers to judge and ask Mr Khalap, why is he lying.
Here is the transcribe of the press conference:
“Congress party has taken a serious note of the prevailing political situation in Goa. and particularly the adverse impact the continued absence of chief minister had on the local governance. We have in the past, been requesting the chief minister to disclose the nature of his ailment. Number two, the time that may be required for his recuperation. And above all, in his absence to appoint second in command. Unfortunately, all our requests have fallen on deaf ears. And for almost last six months, the administration is in a turmoil. Situation is chaotic. And no one seems to know who exactly is in control of the administration. Adding to the ailment of the chief minister, two more ministers have also fallen ill and their sickness also does not appear to be a simple sickness. One has been shifted to the America in the very same hospital in which the honorable chief minister is taking treatment. And the other is in Mumbai. Mr Madkaikar’s portfolios as well as portfolios of Mr Francis D’Souza. Obviously in their absence are taken over by the chief minister. Now when the chief minister is sick and when he is not there in the state, the question is who looks after those portfolios.
If you look at the nature of the portfolios handled by these minister. Almost 80 per cent of the budgetary allocation has to be handled by these main three ministers in the cabinet.
While we all have been and continue to pray for fitness and good health of all the ministers including the chief minister, congress party cannot sit idle and watch the helplessness of the people of Goa. the adverse impact of this on the administration and the various issues which are plaguing the state for last many months and which need to be taken care of. Therefore today we have sent a mail to the Governor, requesting for immediate appointment with Her Excellency so that once again we can appraise her about the prevailing situation. And try and prevail upon her to act as per the mandate of the Constitution of India.
The Constitution prescribes that there shall be a council of ministers with the chief minister at the head to advice the Governor. This is the mandate. You can understand, temporary absence of the chief minister. You can understand when somebody for sometimes is not able to look after the work. But invariably if it is more than 24 hours, the powers are given to somebody else. It was at least possible to have deputy chief minister of Goa. It has always been a case whoever is unable to function hands over the power to second in command or authorizes some minister. The chief minister could have authorized not just one but many more ministers to do their work. Therefore the question comes, who is it, that aids and advices the Governor of Goa because all executive powers are to be exercised in the name of the Governor of Goa. The question comes how many times the council of ministers have met. What is the aid and advice they have tendered to the Governor during this period. Let the Governor come clean on this.
We have issues like, what not, we have the issues of formalin in preserving fish, we have continued closure of mining and therefore unemployment and all the cascading effect on the economy of the state of Goa. we have recently seen decision of water tribunal on Mahadayi which permits Karnataka to divert about 4 Tmc of water to Malaprabha. We have 8,000 youngsters from Goa who had appeared for examination of 80 posts and all failed. We have sudden bills passed in the last assembly like transfer of FAR, constitution of PDAs, Goan lands have been sold to non-goans in a big way, migrant population increasing day by day, CRZ violation, pitiable condition of roads, traffic jams, drugs, murders, rapes, molestation, power failure day in and day out, these are the issues which concerned ministers and council of minister is supposed to meet as often as possible and appraise the Governor, what the government wants to do on these issues.
We demand therefore that Governor must come clean on this issue and tell the State about what is happening in all these portfolios. And culmination of all this is that there is no government existing. Democracy requires a stable government led by the chief minister and that is absent, we request, we demand that governor must withdraw her pleasure in this council of ministers and dismiss the government straightaway.
Why this has to be done, when cm and minister took over the office, they took Oath, that is the requirement of law, requirement of constitution. And in this Oath, the concern state minister has to very clearly promise that he shall uphold the sovereignity and integrity of India, faithfully and consensuosly discharge duty as a minister of the State.
This is the Oath that every minister has to take. If you are not well, if you are sick, if you are not able to pay any attention to your duties as a minister, you are expected to perform, there is violation of Oath taken by the minister. And if there is a violation of Oath taken by the ministers, it tantamounts to failure of Constitutional machinery and the failure of constitutional machinery leads to only one aspect, dismissal of the government, taking over of the government, President’s Rule.”
