Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe on Thursday reprimanded the water supply minister Gulabrao Patil, who is from Shinde camp, for his attempt to speak in violation of Legislative protocol and norms. Gorhe asked the minister to speak while maintaining the decorum of the house and told him that he may be minister at his home. Gorhe also reminded Patil that he was not speaking in the corner meeting but was expressing his views in the state council for which he will have to adhere to its customs and traditions.
Gorhe’s move came after the state council witnessed a rare angry verbal duel between her and Patil who left the Uddhav Thackeray led Shiv Sena and joined the rebellion staged by Eknath Shinde in June. The ruling and opposition members were stunned by the incident as it took place against the backdrop of ongoing tussle between the Thackeray faction and Shinde camp.
Gorhe took strong objection against Patil for airing his views by sitting in his chair during the discussion about the allocation of funds for teachers. ‘’You may be a minister at your home. This is the state council. You should follow the decorum,’’ she told Patil.
Gorhe gave an opportunity to Patil to make his argument instead he started accusing the former minister Anil Parab. What made Gorhe lose her temper was Patil’s move to raise questions with regard to the functioning of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government (incidentally Patil was also the part of MVA government). The deputy chairperson requested Patil to sit but when he continued to speak she snubbed him.
‘’Mr Minister please sit down, this is not the way to talk, the subject of your department is not taken, I am warning you here, it is the question relating to the school education department held by the minister Deepak Kesarkar. It is not proper to rake up who was doing what in the previous cabinet,’’ said Gorhe. She repeatedly asked Patil not to raise these issues but sit down.
‘’Can’t the legislative affairs minister (Chandrakant Patil who was in the house) reprimand the minister? Are you (Patil) in the street corner?’’she asked.
Despite that Patil went on making his comments and reiterated that ‘’I am a minister.’’ However, that made Gorhe to once again warn the minister to speak while following the decorum and sit down immediately.
