Joshi lambasts Oppn for boycotting tea party

NAGPUR, DEC 14: Chief Minister Manohar Joshi blasted the leaders of Opposition parties for boycotting the customary winter session `tea p...

NAGPUR, DEC 14: Chief Minister Manohar Joshi blasted the leaders of Opposition parties for boycotting the customary winter session `tea party’ and dubbed it as an `irresponsible behaviour’ on the part of the Opposition.

Joshi remarked that by staying away from the customary meet, the Opposition have, in fact, lost an opportunity to discuss the legislative means for raising issues of public interest during the three-week winter session of the legislature beginning here today.

Addressing a press conference at his official residence, Ramgiri, the chief minister said the Opposition decision to boycott the customary meet cannot be justified. Expressing different opinions on issues of public importance is quite understandable. But boycott can not be justified, he said in a sharp reaction.

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Contesting the Opposition charge that the Sena-BJP alliance government has failed miserably on all fronts, the chief minister claimed that the Shivshahi government has done well to win love and affection of people.

TheCongress-led Opposition, however, indicated that they would take an aggressive stand in the legislature on disqualification issue. While boycotting the customary tea meeting, they alleged that forged documents were submitted by the Shiv Sena legislator, Chandrakant Padwal, demanding disqualification of seven independent legislators on grounds of defection to Congress.

The decision to boycott was announced at a press conference by Madhukar Pichad, leader of Opposition in the Assembly, and Chhagan Bhujbal, the Opposition leader in the Council, after a meeting of group leaders in both Houses of the State legislature.

They informed that a notice seeking removal of the Speaker Datta Nalawade for his alleged lapses while conducting the business of the House was served by them. Under the rules governing the legislature business, the Speaker has to take cognisance of the notice within 14 working days of the Assembly, a period which expires tomorrow.

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The Opposition also demanded the resignation of the chiefminister in the wake of court ruling in the Sahara Resort project. The Opposition leaders, including CPM leader Narsayya Adam, Janata Dal leader Vyankaappa Patki, Samjawadi Party leader Hussain Dalwai and PWP leader Minakshi Patil, condemned the Sena activists’ morcha to film star Dilip Kumar’s residence in Mumbai yesterday and criticised the chief minister for “failing” to take action against them.

The chief minister, however, said that the issue of disqualification was not listed by the Opposition in their communication addressed to him. It only mentioned about the alleged failures of the alliance government on issues of public importance, he said. He said the Government was prepared to hold discussion on all major issues by conducting the session for its full duration of three weeks. He would be initiating a debate on Tuesday on the time-bound programme announced by him for development of Vidarbha region.

The three-week business listed for the winter session include introduction of seven new Bills,debate on 12 pending Bills and introduction of five Bills replacing Ordinances. A Bill seeks to amend the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act to give reservation for women and economically weaker sections on APMCs.

To a question, he said the reports of Dani Commission and Gundewar Commission would be placed in the winter session along with the Action Taken Report (ATR).