Oppn MLAs disrupt Goa Assembly seeking BJP leader's arrest

The Opposition MLAs on Thursday created a ruckus in the Goa Legislative Assembly seeking the arrest of state BJP spokesman Premanand Mahambrey for filing a "false complaint" against Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte, which led to adjournment of the House four times.

As these legislators continued to disrupt the proceedings when Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stood up to present the state budget around 3 pm, they were finally escorted out of the House by the marshals.

As soon as the fourth day of the budget session of the Assembly began at 11.30 am on Thursday, Khaunte and other MLAs belonging to the Congress, the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) rushed to the Well of the House and disrupted the proceedings.

They demanded that Mahambrey be held for filing a "false complaint" against Khaunte, who was arrested on Wednesday midnight and released on bail in the wee hours of Thursday.

Mahambrey had filed a police complaint against Khaunte on Wednesday for allegedly threatening him on the assembly complex premises. He had also submitted the complaint to state Assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar.

Based on his complaint, Khaunte, former state revenue minister, was arrested from his residence at Porvorim in North Goa district and booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 341 (wrongful restraint) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt).

As the opposition MLAs repeatedly disrupted the proceedings, the speaker adjourned the House four times within three hours- between 11.30 am and 2.30 pm.

When Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stood up to present the state budget at 3 pm, these MLAs once again rushed to the Well of the House shouting the slogans of 'shame shame'.

The speaker asked these legislators to go out and let the House transact the business. However, as they refused to do so, at least nine opposition members, including Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, GFP MLA Vijai Sardesai and MGP MLA Sudin Dhavalikar, were evicted from the House by the marshals.

Talking to reporters earlier in the day, Sardesai had said, "The opposition benches will not allow the House to function till BJP Goa spokesman Mahambrey is arrested. The complaint (against Khaunte) is false."