Khaunte refutes ‘assault’ charge

Panaji: Refuting the allegations that he ‘assaulted’ BJP spokesperson Premanand Mhambre, Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte on Thursday said that the move to target him will backfire and cost the government and the BJP heavily.

“We are not the people who will get scared of arrests. I want to send a clear message to the government that I will not tolerate and keep quiet if they try to harass the people of constituency. We will respond,” Khaunte said. “In the coming days, all these attacks…and their people feel that the grass is green…lot of things will open up. I don’t want to spell out everything but whatever they have started, we will end,” he thundered.

Khaunte further said that the ‘hitler shahi’ will not work. He said that the more they (BJP) provoke, the stronger will be the response of the united Opposition.  

“This class today has made us much stronger in thoughts and unity. Not only the ten MLAs but the people of Goa are together now against the government. The phase, which we are seeing from last night, from the way it has been addressed, people of Goa are not fools, they are reading between the lines,” he said.

He said that he only had a casual talk with the BJP spokesperson near the corridor of the Chief Minister’s chamber in the assembly complex. “If I had assaulted him, then why there was no sound? Luckily for me, Poriem MLA Pratapsing Rane was there with me,” Khaunte said.