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Political Notes |
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Special Courts to try Mumbai riot cases
Under pressure from various quarters including Congress president Sonia Gandhi for implementing the recommendations of the Srikrishna Commission on Mumbai riots, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh announced on August 13 that special courts would be set up to try serious cases in the 1992-93 commu¬nal riots in Mumbai. He said at least four to five courts would be set up to try about 24 to 36 cases. The Chief Minister gave the assurance to a delegation of various organisations which met him demanding concrete action in the riots cases.
The decision came two days after Congress president Sonia Gandhi told the Chief Minister that the Srikrishna report should be implemented in letter and spirit.
Quattrocchi affair comes up again
The issue of Italian business Ottavio Quattrocchi’s release from Argentina rocked both Houses of Parliament on August 16 with the opposition blaming the UPA Government on the issue. The BJP alleged that Quattrocchi walked free out of Argentina because of serious lapses on the part of the Government of India. The oppo¬sition onslaught came while the CBI brass was already blaming the Ministry of External Affairs for failing to press the appeal in the Argentinian Supreme Court for the extradition of the contro¬versial businessman, accused of taking bribes in the Bofors arms deal. The Opposition clubbed the Quattrocchi issue with the nuclear deal to force a series of adjournments in both Houses of Parliament.
Goa circus : Kamat Government back in majority
Things turned topsy-turvey again in Goa on Monday, August 13, with United Goans Democratic Party MLA Atanaslo Monserratee quitting the Opposition BJP-led Goa Democratic Alliance and declaring support to the Congress headed government.
Monserratee, who had led a coup against the Digambar Kamat government on July 25, which saw the UGR Maharashtrawadi Goman¬tak Party and Save Goa Front withdrawing support to the ruling coalition and joining hands with the BJP, met Governor S.C. Jamir and gave his letter of support to the ruling coalition.
The former State Minister is the lone UGDP legislator and represents Taletgao assembly seat.
“I have decided to withdraw from the GDA and support the Congress-led formation only to ensure political stability in the state,” the letter signed by Monserratee reads.
As a result, the political equation in the 40-member State Assembly has tilted in favour of Kamat who now enjoys the support of 20 legislators. The GDA has 19 legislators.
In a related development, Goa Speaker Pratapsinh Rane refused to accept the Supreme Court’s notice on petitions chal¬lenging his order restraining two MGP MLAs from casting their vote during the July 30 trial of strength. He questioned the Court’s jurisdiction to decide disputes arising from the pro¬ceedings of the House.
In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, Rane defended his controversial decision, specially denying the allegations that his order was actuated by bias, mala fide, and was perverse, unreasonable and capricious.
Interestingly, he filed his reply without accepting the court’s notice in the petitions filed by the Goa Democratic Alliance and two MGP MLAs and said, “I reserve the right to file a detailed affidavit if so desired at a later stage.”
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