PANAJI
Stating that constructive opposition was requisite for democracy, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said opposition and criticism by former MLA Rohan Khaunte was taken positively.
Sawant, who several times during the last two years was locked in verbal duels with Khaunte, also said he was instrumental in implementing reforms during his stint as Information Technology, Revenue and Labour and Employment minister, which are continuing in his government.
Sawant said there was nothing 'personal' in the verbal duels he had with Khaunte on the floor of the House but these were in the interest of resolving issues of the State which strengthened democratic values.
The chief minister also claimed that Khaunte has joined the BJP to complement the development being carried out by his government.
While in the Opposition, Khaunte raised the right issues and sought their resolution, Sawant said, adding that the government side often deliberated the issues he raised.
The chief minister also praised Khaunte's performance as minister, first in the Cabinet of the late Manohar Parriker and briefly in his own.
Khaunte was among the four Cabinet ministers sacked by Sawant along with Goa Forward Party's Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai, Jayesh Salgaonkar and Vinoda Palyenkar, when the group of 10 Congress MLAs joined the BJP in July 2019.
