The `Gholap issue' surfaced after question hour in the Council through a Rule 93 notice brought by Vidya Belose (Congress) and Vyankappa Patki (Janata Dal). Chairperson N S Pharande disallowed the discussion on the grounds that the entire matter was sub-judice.

Patki said the police report mentioned that Gholap was charged under section 120(b) of the Indian Penal Code. Therefore under the circumstances, Gholap must not be allowed to continue as Minister, Patki pointed out. Others also expressed doubts that Gholap's continuing as Minister could interfere with the ongoing inquiry.

Tempers could be seen risingthrough the discussion but the breaking point came when Vasant Chavan (Congress) accused the State Government of shielding and protecting Gholap. As a mark of protest, the Opposition declared a walkout.

In the Assembly, Congress member Manikrao Thakre demanded suspension of question hour to discuss the Gholap episode while in the upper house, Janata Dal's Vyankappa Patki moved a similar motion to press for discussion on the fresh charges of corruption against Gholap.

As the presiding officers in both the Houses declined to oblige the agitated opposition members, they entered the well, resorted to intense sloganeering to press their demand for dismissal of Gholap and later staged a walkout.

Thakre, who was Minister of State for Home in the erstwhile Congress government, submitted that since an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against Gholap following directives of the court, the Cabinet Minister should be sacked immediately.

``The moot question is that can such aMinister against specific evidence collected by the ACB sit in the House. It is a very serious matter. I feel that the Minister should resign immediately or he should be sacked forthwith,'' Thakre added.

Strongly supporting the views expressed by Thakre, leader of opposition Madhukar Pichad pointed out that since the ACB has clearly indicted Gholap, he has no moral right to continue in office.

``Gholap should follow the precedent set by the then Minister for Agriculture Shashikant Sutar, the then Minister of State for Urban Development Ravindra Mane,'' Pichad said, adding, it will be highly improper to for such a Cabinet minister to reply to the questions raised by the members.

Pichad also recalled the statement of Gholap that he will quit the Cabinet in the event an offence is registered against him by the ACB.

Defending Gholap, Chief Minister Narayan Rane said the entire case against the Social Welfare Minister is subjudice, since a court is seized of the matter. Rejecting the demand for thedismissal of Gholap, the Chief Minister said since he has not been held guilty by any court, it will be improper to dismiss such a minister. ``It will be wrong to call him a criminal since the charges against him are under investigation,'' Rane added.

Rejecting the demand for suspension of question hour, Speaker Datta Nalawade said he has already given his ruling on the controversy. ``Since the matter is subjudice and he has not been proved guilty, I am rejecting the notice for suspension of question hour,'' Nalawade said.

Again during question hour, the Government had to face unexpected embarrassment when questions related to the departments held by Gholap were taken up. As the Speaker called the question in connection with malnutrition in Atapalli tehsil of Chandrapur district, Marotrao Kowase, who had raised the question, said he was not interested in securing an answer from a corrupt minister. Even on the question relating to the pending applications at the Ahmednagar office of the Mahatma PhuleBackward Class Development Corporation, Congress member Pandurang Abhang repeated the statement made by Kowase.