Saturday, March 5 2005 10:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Panaji: Faced with ouster of the party Government in Goa following Union Cabinet's proposal for Central rule, several senior Congress leaders in the State yesterday (Mar 4, 2005) resented Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil's remarks about happenings in the Assembly alleging his action "bordered on indiscipline" and urged Congress high command to take action against him.

Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane, who won a controversial confidence vote in the House yesterday, said that mere pressure from the Opposition should not prompt the Centre to take recourse to such a measure.

"I am willing to go by what they say. Only thing is I want to see that the Opposition if they bring 100-200 people to the Governor's house does not mean that President's rule should be imposed in the State," Rane said.

Former Chief Minister and South Goa party MP Churchill Alemao told reporters at Rane's residence, "I am surprised that Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has said the Congress Government behaved in the same way as the Parrikar Government. He has offended the Congressmen."

"The Congress High Command should take action against Patil and he should give an explanation for what he said," Alemao said.

"Patil had lost the elections by 1,85,000 votes. How can he teach anyone the people's mandate? The whole of India has seen that we have won as per the Constitution and he has behaved partially towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government," he said.

Echoing Alemao, ex-Cong MP Shantaram Naik said that Patil's comments were "bordering on indiscipline" and added, "How fair it is on his part to openly criticise the party is a matter that my senior leaders should venture to say. But I as an ex-Congressman and ex-MP am deeply hurt by his comments. I will be writing to Congress president Sonia Gandhi about this."

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) spokesperson Jitendra Deshprabhu said there had been a "communication gap between local leaders and those in Delhi" and said, "It is time for introspection as to why President's Rule will be imposed on a valid Government."

Claiming that Congress had won the vote of confidence by the correct Constitutional method, he said although the party had tried to enquire with the Goa Governor and with leaders in Delhi, they had not been communicated about what was to happen in Goa.

The BJP on the other hand has demanded the recall of Governor S C Jamir and called for fresh elections in the State.

"The Assembly is in a volatile situation right now and cannot continue like this. Therefore, we demand dissolution of the Assembly and fresh elections. We are ready to face the people again," dismissed Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said.

Later reacting to the imposition of President's rule, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Lusinho Faleiro said, "The day the Manohar Parikkar-led BJP Government was dismissed my mission was accomplished."

"As far as the decision (to impose President's rule), whether right or wrong, I accept it," he said.

He said, "The decision to put the Assembly under suspended animation has not surprised us, infact it will give us breathing space to form a far more stable Government." The senior leader, however said, "The exodus from the BJP will still continue. The MLAs are frustrated and disenchanted. The situation is irreversible."

Most Cabinet Ministers, Congress MLAs as well as South Goa MP Churchill Alemao were at Rane's official residence till late last night fine-tuning the party's future strategy.