The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to hear on August 6, a petition challenging the order of the Goa Assembly Speaker restraining three Opposition MLAs from voting in the House during the Motion of Confidence moved by chief minister Digambar Kamat.
Two Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) MLAs Sudin Dhavalikar and Dipak Dhavilkar and dissident Congress legislator Victoria Fernandes were restrained from casting their votes by Speaker Pratapsingh Rane during the House proceedings.
The petition seeking stay on the Speaker?s July 30 interim order was filed before a Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appeared on the behalf of the petitioners. senior advocate Fali S Nariman, who was present in the court, said he would be appearing on behalf of the Speaker.
The petition filed by the MGP MLAs alleged that the interim order of the Speaker was unconstitutional and undemocratic as there was blatant violation of natural justice and fair play.
They said the order was passed on the disqualification petition filed by Congress MLA Agnelo Fernandes against the MLAs, who had decided to support the BJP-led Goa Democratic Alliance (GDA).
The MLAs contended that the Speaker?s order needed to be set aside, as they were not even served with the copies of the disqualification.
They have also questioned the Speakers? decision to hold voice vote on the Motion of Confidence.