Congress wants Goa budget to be kept on hold for code violation

PANAJI: Opposition Congress in Goa today accused the ruling BJP of violating the Election Code of Conduct after the Manohar Parrikar-led government presented the state budget yesterday.

"The budget violates the code as it was presented after elections were announced," Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President John Fernandes told reporters today.

The party, he said, will be writing to the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding that the budget be kept on hold.

He alleged that the announcements made in the budget comprised 'election sops'.

Fernandes alleged that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was spreading a wrong notion that the House is supreme and can table the budget during code of conduct.

"When Code of Conduct comes into effect, even President of India is not supreme," he said citing an example of how in the past, Goa Governor had to be recalled when he was appointed in the state during the code days.

He described the budget as "hypothetical" and said that it was a bogus election propaganda.

"Parrikar is day dreaming that BJP led government will come to power at the Centre," Fernandes added.

The CM, after presenting the budget yesterday had rubbished that his action violates the election code claiming that "House is supreme" and he has every right to present the budget.