PANAJI
Two days after the incident, Minister Mauvin Godinho broke his silence, condemning the remarks, stating that they appeared to be an attempt to create communal tension and spread hatred in the State.
“Such statements can ignite conflict on religious lines. However, Goans will not fall prey to such attempts,” he said.
Calling for strict action, the Minister said those responsible must be dealt with firmly. At the same time, he appealed to the public not to politicise the issue or allow it to escalate. “We should not use this incident for political mileage,” he said.
Clarifying his presence at the event, Godinho said neither he nor the other two BJP MLAs had organised the programme. “We were invited on stage during the Parshuram Jayanti event, and the organisers had not informed us about the speakers,” he said.
Explaining his response at the time, the Minister said they were taken by surprise by the remarks and made attempts to intervene. “We were shocked and tried twice to request the organisers to stop the speech. Two written notes were also sent. However, someone from the audience insisted that it continue. Any forceful intervention at that moment could have led to a law and order situation, and hence we refrained,” he said.
