http://www.navhindtimes.com/stories.php?part=news&Story_ID=012134
NCP issues show-cause notice to Mikky NT Staff Reporter Panaji Jan 20: The Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister, Mr Francisco Xavier Pacheco (Mikky) today refuted the charges of anti-party activities directed towards him through a show-cause notice issued by the state Nationalist Congress Party general-secretary, Mr Surendra Furtado. Mr Pacheco is leaving for Mumbai tomorrow and is expected to meet the NCP president, Mr Sharad Pawar to discuss the matter with him. At around noon today, Mr Furtado issued a show-cause notice to Mr Pacheco which stated, "Your actions in the last few days of ventilating your grievances in the press has brought a bad name to the Nationalist Congress Party. At a time when our party is in a coalition with the Congress (I) at the Centre and in the states of Maharashtra and Goa, your actions are not conducive to good relations between the coalition partners. Our leaders in Delhi are most concerned about this." The notice also asked Mr Pacheco to explain his behaviour within 24 hours, otherwise warning of a disciplinary action. Mr Pacheco, in his reply, later in the evening said, "I have already submitted my grievances to the state co-ordination committee of the Nationalist Congress Party as decided in the state executive committee meeting held on January 17, 2006, which viewpoint was endorsed by the state executive committee.' "Further, I would submit that I have not indulged in any anti-party activities as alleged by you to attract disciplinary action. I am ready to face the co-ordination committee as and when summoned," the reply said. On the other hand, the state NCP president, Dr Wilfred de Sousa who was busy in a meeting with the members of the NCP state co-ordination committee namely, Dr Carmo Pegado, Mr Chandrakant Chodankar and Mr Jose Philipe D'Souza told reporters, "The NCP is a national party with national leaders and nothing happens in this party without the knowledge of the national leaders. In case of the NCP, the national leader is Mr Sharad Pawar," he said. Reiterating Dr de Sousa's statement, Mr Furtado told the pressmen that he had nothing personal against Mr Pacheco and had issued him the show-cause notice at the direction of the party high command. "The reply to the notice will also be forwarded to the party high command," he added. Mr Pacheco, on the other hand, speaking informally to the media said that as per his view the show-cause notice has no meaning. "I do not know who gave the authority to Mr Furtado to issue me this notice," he quipped. In fact, even before I could read the show-cause notice, representatives of electronic media questioned me about the same, Mr Pacheco said, retorting, "may be Mr Furtado needed some publicity." Speaking further, Mr Pacheco said that he is leaving for Mumbai tomorrow. Though Mr Pacheco cited the reason for his Mumbai visit as a weekend trip, he indirectly hinted at meeting Mr Pawar. Replying to a question about his resignation from the state cabinet as discussed at the January 17 meeting of the party, Mr Pacheco said, "I cannot withdraw NCP's support to the state government on my own. However, I would follow if my state party president does it," he said. Mr Pacheco also said that he is still not happy with the running of the government under the leadership of the Chief Minister, Mr Pratapsing Rane. "Many Congress MLAs support my views and they also share them with me," he said, adding "however, these MLAs are in two minds about coming out openly, fearing a disciplinary action against them by the Congress party high command." -- Cheers, Gabe Menezes. London, England Comment: Bye bye black bird....
