PANAJI
After disallowing two disqualification petitions against the eight MLAs, who jumped to BJP in 2022, the Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar strongly criticised such crossovers in a stern message to his own ruling party BJP stating that “those accepting the defectors need to understand the limitations of politics”.
During a ‘Head On’ interview, Tawadkar also expressed complete displeasure at the manner in which Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the party State leadership ignored Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude’s public insult or disrespect to the Speaker’s chair.
Tawadkar said that his verdict in the disqualification petitions were based on facts and as per law; but the increasing defection in the politics is not a good sign.
“Those defecting and those accepting the defectors should understand limitations in politics,” he said. He also said that the petitioners in the disqualification matters are free to challenge his verdict in the Court.
Responding to the questions pertaining to the on-going cold war between him and Gaude, Tawadkar said that there is nothing called ‘cold war’ but it is all about how one person is behaving in public. “I have faced enough humiliation in the way of various statements through the media and otherwise. I am not bothered about what Gaude speaks or says to me but he insults the Speaker’s chair which I cannot tolerate,” he said.
“What is more hurtful is that he speaks in the presence of CM,” he said, referring to two instances.
“If the CM is not able to handle his own Minister who is disrespecting the Speaker's chair and if the party is also not bothered to act, I had to speak to protect the dignity of that chair,” he said adding I have raised the issue with the Chief Minister and Party president and I am awaiting their action.
He pointed out that many former Speakers and Ministers, who faced open humiliation, had to quit politics due to ignorance of the CM or party.
