“Let me reiterate that the BJP has nothing to do with the rebellion in the Congress Legislature Party," Sawant said before walking away without answering any further questions.
Earlier on being asked if Congress MLAs came to meet him, the CM had said, "As CM, many people come to meet me. Tomorrow is Assembly, people came to meet me regarding that. I am busy with my Assembly work... Why will I comment on issues related to other parties?"
On Sunday, five Congress MLAs, including Digambar Kamat and Michael Lobo, went incommunicado. They, however, attended the Goa Assembly proceedings on the first day of its monsoon session on Monday and claimed there was nothing wrong and that they were with the party.
Ten of the Congress MLAs also attended a meeting chaired by senior party leader Mukul Wasnik in Panaji on Monday night.
After the five Congress MLAs -- Michael Lobo, Digambar Kamat, Kedar Naik, Rajesh Faldesai and Delialah Lobo -- went incommunicado on Sunday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had asked Wasnik to rush to Goa.
The Congress had accused Lobo and former chief minister Kamat of "conspiring and hobnobbing" with the ruling BJP to engineer a split in the grand old party's legislative wing.
The party also removed Lobo from the post of leader of opposition in the 40-member state Assembly.
Lobo denied any "hobnobbing" with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and asserted that he is still with the grand old party and mere not attending a press conference cannot be a ground for disqualification.
Amid claims and counterclaims over the spilt in the Goa Congress, Lobo said, "No, there is no hobnobbing (with BJP). I think somebody wants to become leader of the opposition and that's why they are doing it."
"This (meeting with Mukul Wasnik) was not a CLP meeting. The senior Rajya Sabha member of Congress had come here to discuss the happenings in the state. I have told him that we are with the Congress party," he added.
"Not attending a press conference cannot be a ground for disqualification," said Michael Lobo.
(With inputs from PTI)
