Panaji: Adv. Aires Rodrigues has stated that the Cabinet decision taken today of creating those 16 jobs to take care of Pratapsingh Rane in his so called Lifetime Cabinet status was a belated eye wash which would not hoodwink the Courts.

Adv. Rodrigues has also stated that all the relevant facts would be placed before the High Court at the next hearing on 2^nd May including the fact that Pratapsingh Rane on 6^th January 2022 had not completed those 50 years as MLA as wrongly claimed by the authorities.

Pointing out that Pratapsingh Rane had assumed office for the first time on 23^rd March 1972 as per the official notitification issued on 26 March 1972, Adv. Aires Rodrigues has today stated that Pratapsingh Rane would have completed his 50 years as Goa Legislator only if he had been elected at the Assembly elections held on 14^th February 2022.

A Division bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa comprising of Justice M.S Sonak and Justice R.N. Laddha will be on 2^nd May further hear the petition filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues challenging the constitutional validity of the notification issued on 7^th January this year bestowing Lifetime Cabinet status on former Goa Chief Minister Pratapsingh Raoji Rane.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues in his petition has drawn the High Court’s attention to the manner in which the Goa cabinet hurriedly resolved on 6^th January this year to confer Pratapsingh Rane with lifetime Cabinet status.

Adv. Rodrigues in his petition has pointed out that that the Constitution of India does not provide for conferring Cabinet status on any individual other than a current minister who is duly sworn in and that there is no law whereby Cabinet status can be granted to an individual, who was in the past a Minister.

Pointing out that under Article 164 of the Constitution the total strength of the Goa cabinet cannot exceed 12, Adv. Rodrigues in his petition has submitted that conferment of Cabinet status on Pratapsingh Rane results in the number of Cabinet ranks being 13 which exceeds the mandate of law.

Stating that the very purpose of the 91st Amendment to the Constitution which restricts the size of Cabinet was to prevent the installation of jumbo cabinets and resultant huge drain on the public exchequer, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that conferring the Cabinet status to Pratapsingh Rane defeats the very purpose of the law and was a back door entry in wilful disobedience of the mandate of law.

Drawing the Court’s attention that there was no legal power vested in the Government for conferment of such status of Cabinet Minister and that it cannot be made in the garb of exercise of executive powers, Adv. Rodrigues in his petition has stated that the notification according Cabinet Status to Pratapsingh Rane was illegal, without jurisdiction, and void.

Expressing concern that Political patronage seems to be the order of the day, Adv. Rodrigues has further stated that the conferment of Cabinet status on Pratapsingh Rane was malafide, a colourable exercise of power in tearing hurry for political patronage and thus bad in law.

Adv. Rodrigues in his petition has also given the High Court complete details of BJP’s Goa in charge Devendra Fadnavis’s visit to meet Pratapsingh Rane at his residence on 21^st September last year and to the 22^nd December 2021 selection of Pratapsingh Rane as the Congress candidate from Poriem which he on 27^th January this year declined to contest just days before the deadline to file the nominations for the Assembly elections which were held on 14^th February this year.