Oppn protests in Goa assembly, disrupts Governor’s address over nightclub fire

A ruckus erupted in the Goa legislative assembly on the first day of the winter session on Monday after Opposition MLAs disrupted Governor P Ashok Gajapathi Raju’s address to demand a Statement from him on the nightclub fire tragedy that claimed 25 lives last month.

All seven Opposition members, who rushed to the well of the House, were escorted out by security personnel.

As the winter session began, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao welcomed the governor.

When the governor stood to address the House, Alemao demanded that he make a Statement about the fire that broke out at Birch by Romeo Lane, a nightclub in Arpora village, in the first week of December.

“With due respect to the governor, we urge him to start the speech with a reference to the nightclub fire tragedy. Twenty-five people were murdered in the State,” Alemao said, even as CM Sawant tried to intervene and asked him to sit. The Leader of the Opposition demanded that accountability be fixed on the Government for the tragedy. To this, Sawant told Alemao to “maintain protocol of the House.” Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar urged him to sit, but Alemao continued speaking, after which all Opposition legislators rushed to the well of the House with placards. While the governor continued his speech, seven Opposition MLAs from the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), shouted “shame, shame”.

Security personnel escorted the protesting members out of the House.

The winter session of the Goa assembly will culminate on January 16.