Panaji: The Goa Assembly session today witnessed din after the election for the Speaker’s post when Independent legislator Vijay Sardesai started criticising outgoing Speaker Rajendra Arlekar for not “allowing” Opposition members to speak during his tenure. BJP legislator Anant Shet was today elected as the Assembly Speaker.
Sardesai, who began his speech congratulating the new Speaker after the addresses by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane, started criticising Arlekar for allegedly not allowing the Opposition members to voice their issues on floor of the House during his tenure.
“I wish you will at least allow us to speak and not ask us to sit down time and again. For last three-and-half years, the Speaker has done injustice to the Opposition members by not allowing them to speak,” Sardesai, the Independent legislator from Fatorda constituency, said in the House.
The democracy was killed by former Speaker, he alleged. As Sardesai was criticising, Parsekar intervened and demanded that Shet should ask the independent MLA to stop talking about the former Speaker and congratulate the new Speaker.
However, Sardesai continued and said, “You need not teach us what to speak and what not to. If we have to listen to you, we will have to come here with a slate and chalk,” evoking strong response from the ruling party members like Pramod Sawant and Subhash Faldesai.
As the ruckus continued, the Speaker adjourned the Assembly till 2.30 PM for lunch break. The week-long state Legislative Assembly session began here yesterday.
