Panaji, Goa Forward party MLA Vijay Sardesai on Tuesday tendered an unconditional apology to the state assembly over a protest organized by a group of people at the visitors’ gallery of the House as they were issued entry passes by his office.
Four people were arrested on March 6 after they protested inside the visitors’ hall of the House of Representatives against the proposed dam on the Zuari river in Mirabagh village in Kushwati district.
The accused had entered the House using passes issued by Sardesai’s office. Parliament Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar on Monday gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the GFP MLA to tender an unconditional apology.
Speaking in the House on Tuesday, Sardesai said he respected the Speaker, an ideal position in a democratic House.
He pointed out that he has been working in the Lebanese army for 14 years and has worked in the government and the opposition.
“I have also served as a minister and deputy chief minister and hence understand the functioning of the House,” the MLA said.
He added that legislators give the right to issue traffic permits, and he is the one who issued these permits, adding that, however, he cannot control how people who obtained these permits behave.
The GFP leader tendered an unconditional apology in accordance with the order of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, claiming that he had no knowledge of the behavior or intentions of the protesters.
“If I had known about their behavior, would I have given them a permit? I could have even asked someone else to issue the permit,” he said.
Sardesai also pointed out that while MLAs have the right to issue passes, the power to allow people into the Assembly rests with the Speaker.
He told the House that if MLAs were expected to be held responsible for the conduct of those to whom passes were issued, the Assembly would have to discuss the matter and frame a separate rule or law on it.
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