PANAJI: The state

leadership was left in an awkward position after a local court on Thursday ordered that

MLA Atanasio

should face trial for allegedly raping a woman in 2016. Senior leaders, including chief minister

, refused to comment on the development.

The district and sessions court, North Goa framed charges of rape against Monserrate, who switched over to BJP despite winning the Panaji byelection on a Congress ticket. The court will commence the trial on October 17.

“I will go through that (court order) and comment,” said Sawant when asked by reporters about the party’s stand on the issue.

Similarly, state party president and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar also refused to comment when asked by reporters if the party would take any action against Monserrate.

BJP MLA and transport minister Mauvin Godinho also said that he had no comment to offer on the party’s stand on Monserrate continuing in the party despite facing trial in a rape case.

Monserrate is the first sitting MLA in Goa to face charge under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).

Interestingly, in Uttar Pradesh, BJP has tried to distance itself from former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand, who has been accused of raping a law student.

Former South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar also refused to come on record on the issue, and instead gestured towards his throat to suggest that he had a sore throat.

In the run-up to the May 19 bypoll for Panaji, the BJP mahila morcha had said that women would not be safe in the capital city if Monserrate won the elections. BJP leaders had cited the Taleigao strongman’s criminal background, especially the rape allegations, in an attempt prove that Monserrate was not suitable as an MLA.

Congress and Goa Forward Party (GFP) also refused to comment on the legal developments, with leaders of both parties saying that it was BJP’s internal matter. Monserrate was a member of GFP and Congress before he joined BJP.

“This could be a pressure tactic of the BJP, but at the end, it is an internal matter of the BJP,” said state Congress president Girish Chodankar. GFP president Vijay Sardesai’s stance was also on similar lines.