Disqualification plea not maintainable: Kamat and Lobo

Panaji: Former chief minister and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and former minister and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on Friday said that the disqualification petition filed against them by the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Patkar is not maintainable.
The hearing of the petition has been adjourned till March 23.
Speaker of Goa legislative assembly Ramesh Tawadkar on Friday held the hearing against both the BJP MLAs.
Parag Rao, counsel for Kamat and Lobo said, “We have filed an application saying that the petition is not maintainable as there are other MLAs in the House who could have filed it. Rule says that the member of assembly has to file. No exceptions should be made in this case. This is what we are trying to argue.”
He said that there is a judgment of the Supreme Court which says that the president can file the petition, but in that case, there were no MLAs to take up the proceedings.
Patkar said that their case was that any interested person can file a disqualification petition as held by the Supreme Court.
“It looks like this argument will give a new way for setting a new precedent in the Goa assembly. Let’s wait and watch,” he said.
In July last year, when the then Congress MLAs made an attempt to join the BJP, Patkar had filed a disqualification petition before the speaker against Kamat and Lobo.
In July last year, when the then Congress MLAs made an attempt to join the BJP, Patkar had filed a disqualification petition with the speaker against Kamat and Lobo