Sleaze allegations rock Goa Assembly

Schoolgirls, numbering more than 100, who made a study trip to the Goa Assembly yesterday, seemed to have learnt more than they were suppose...

Schoolgirls, numbering more than 100, who made a study trip to the Goa Assembly yesterday, seemed to have learnt more than they were supposed to. Congress and BJP legislators traded allegations for the second day yesterday and were at each other’s throats, accusing each other of amassing wealth and property.

During Zero Hour, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Congress’ state unit president Luizinho Faleiro charged each other with amassing wealth while in office.

It all started when Parrikar alleged on Monday that Faleiro owned property outside the country. Parrikar stood up yesterday to clarify his statement but Congress legislators, not to give up so easily, continued with their tirade against the government.

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The Chief Minister denied having said that Faleiro had purchased land in Australia but went on to say the Congress leader could be owner of some property in Australia. Faleiro challenged Parrikar to provide evidence to prove his statement and said that he would quit politics if the allegations were proved true.

Charges flew thick and fast, and Panchayat Minister Manohar Azgaonkar claimed to have been informed by sitting Congress MLA Babu Kavlekar about Faleiro’s dealings in Australia. As Kavlekar watched on, Congress legislators turned their attention to Azgaonkar. They alleged that they had information about Azgaonkar’s ‘‘dalliances’’ during an official visit to foreign countries like Australia and during a stop-over in Mumbai.

Reacting to the allegation, Azgaonkar stood up and charged Faleiro with patronising a redlight area in Goa. The name of the redlight area was expunged by Speaker Vishwas Sattarkar.

As allegations of sexual transgressions resounded in the House, senior BJP leaders like Power Minister Digambar Kamat and others tried to persuade Azgaonkar to calm down.

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Till recent years, Goa’s Legislature had always been composed of a large number of doctors and lawyers. However, the last some years have seen several of them losing the polls to petty contractors and traders. Sources say that several ministers are unable to read from their files and depend on Parrikar to bail them out in the Assembly.