Panaji, Jun 27 (TOI): Chief minister Manohar Parrikar has asked urban development minister Francis D’Souza not to comment on his ongoing spat with deputy speaker and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo until he intervenes to resolve the differences between the two legislators.

Although BJP general secretary Sadananand Shet Tanavade had said that the CM had summoned both D’Souza and Lobo on Tuesday, the meeting did not take place.

D’Souza said he had a meeting with Parrikar regarding matters pertaining to the directorate of municipal administration when the issue cropped up. “The chief minister has told me not to stretch the issue further till he speaks to us,” said D’Souza, adding “I will have to keep quiet.”

Nonetheless, both Lobo and D’Souza have been called to the BJP state headquarters in Panaji, where Parrikar is also expected to be present. D’Souza said that he told Parrikar that he has no issues with Lobo and that he has merely reacted to statements made by the Calangute MLA.

D’Souza had hit back at Lobo accusing the Calangute MLA of his “greed to become a minister”. When D’Souza was out of the country, it was Lobo who had charged the urban development minister with neglecting Mapusa town.

Speaking at a recent function in Mapusa, Lobo lashed out at D’Souza after Mapusa witnessed a flood-like situation due to heavy rainfall. Lobo said that D’Souza “is a good person but he has neglected his constituency despite being MLA for five terms”. Lobo, too, declined to react to D’Souza’s statement on Monday that drugs and prostitution was rampant in Calangute.