Kavlekar supporting my critics: Phal Dessai

Margao: Minister for social welfare and Sanguem MLA Subhash Phal Dessai has accused former deputy chief minister and current BJP vice-president Chandrakant Kavlekar of tacitly supporting his detractors in defaming him. Kavlekar has denied the accusations and brushed them off as “some misunderstanding”.
Addressing reporters at Sanguem, Phal Dessai took exception to the behaviour of a councillor of Sanguem municipality, a known supporter of Kavlekar’s wife, Savitri, who had contested against him in Sanguem in the assembly polls. He said that the councillor used “abusive and objectionable” language against him in the public. He alleged that the person enjoyed Kavlekar’s tacit support.
Referring to photos of the Kavlekar couple on banners put up in Sanguem for festive greetings, Phal Dessai said it was a clear indication of the former Quepem MLA supporting his detractors.
“Let him continue doing that. I have nothing to lose. People of Sanguem have rejected both of them (Kavlekar couple),” Phal Dessai told reporters.
Replying to a query, Phal Dessai said he wouldn’t ask the party leadership to intervene in the matter. “The party will do what it deems fit,” he said.
Refuting the allegations leveled against him, Kavlekar said, “There’s no question of me supporting anybody. (Some persons) may have supported my wife during the polls, but with the elections now over, the chapter is closed.”
Kavlekar said that he has always stood loyal to his party and wouldn’t do anything that would harm his party’s interests. “Whichever party I am in, I have always been loyal to and honest with it. I spent 20 years in the earlier party and stayed loyal to it. Now I am loyal to this party and willcontinue being loyal to it,” he said.
Speaking further, Kavlekar maintained that he as deputy chief minister never stepped into Sanguem during the election campaign period where his wife was contesting as independent, as he said he didn’t want to harm the party candidate’s interests. “Had I done that, the results of the election may well have been different,” Kavlekar said.