Panaji, Feb 18 (PTI) The Congress said Monday that it will bring a breach of privilege motion against Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for allegedly misleading the Goa Assembly through a Public Accounts Committee report on illegal mining.

The report had been prepared in 2011 when Parrikar was the leader of opposition.

The Congress has latched onto a statement by state power minister and BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral that the PAC report was a "political stunt".

All India Congress Committee Secretary A Chellakumar said the state Congress Legislative Party will meet in a couple of days to decide (formally) on moving the privilege motion against Parrikar.

The report had pointed out irregularities in the mining industry in the coastal state, after which the Supreme Court appointed M B Shah Commission to conduct inquiry.

Minister Cabral had said recently during a TV debate that the PAC report tabled by Parrikar was a "political stunt". He later claimed he meant to say "stand" and not "stunt"

Chellakumar alleged that to gain power in the 2012 Assembly elections, Parrikar used the PAC report to mislead people and the Assembly.

Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar said Cabral's "confession" indicated that the BJP twisted the mining issue to target Congress leaders.

When contacted, Cabral claimed he was being misquoted.

"During the debate I said it was a political stand taken at that time to expose the then ruling Congress government," he said.

"I uttered the word `stunt' but quickly clarified that I meant `stand'," the BJP leader added.

The PAC report was based on the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), he further said. PTI

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)