Goa Congress Chief Claims Attack on Party Workers in Panaji Was Govt-sponsored

Panaji: The Congress has alleged that the attack on the party workers in Panaji on Friday was "pre-planned" and "government sponsored".

The workers of the BJP and the Congress had clashed occurred outside the Goa Congress headquarters Friday evening during a rally on the Rafale issue.

"The physical attack on our leaders was pre-planned one, as officials attached to the Chief Minister's Office, Speaker's Office and two cabinet ministers were in the mob", Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Girish Chodankar said on Saturday.

The Congress party Saturday held a joint meeting of GPCC and Congress Legislative Wing in Panaji to take stock of the situation after the attack. "It was a government sponsored attack which saw participation of two Ministers- Vishwajit Rane and Mauvin Godinho", alleged Chodankar.

He said Officer on Special Duty of Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly and Public Relation officer of the Chief Minister were amongst others who participated in the clash.

Accusing police of siding with the BJP workers, Chodankar said the police officers who were present at the spot gave a free hand to the saffron party activists to assault Congress workers. "The police did nothing to clear the mob even as the commuters were put to hardship with traffic block for nearly two hours", he said.

The BJP on Friday said the clash was instigated by Congress. Rane and Godinho were not available for comments.