PANAJI
Calling himself ‘retired hurt’ the former Chief Minister of Goa, former Leader of the Opposition party in the Assembly and the Congress MLA from Margao Digambar Kamat has been named as the chief conspirator by the Desk In-charge in the Congress, AICC general secretary Dinesh Gundu Rao and was blamed for hatching the conspiracy taking along with him the Leader of the Opposition and few Congress MLAs.On this backdrop, Prudent Media spoke to Digambar Kamat on the entire issue and whether this feeling of hurt would take him out of the party and join the BJP. Kamat disclosed that Dinesh Gundu Rao had met him on Saturday night at his residence at 9 pm and discussed the situation in Goa. Admitting that the sentiments of his party workers are hurt with the way he is being humiliated again and again, Kamat said that in 2017 he was not nominated as the leader of the opposition, and in 2022 too again, he was sidelined. At that time 17 out of 18 Congress MLAs left the party and only he remained loyal to the party. “I lead the party, fought the election and took the party forward, even though I was not declared as the CM candidate. I worked hard and tirelessly. My workers worked hard in Margao, and for the first time, we got such a huge margin. Naturally, they expected that I would be declared the leader of the opposition. But the party announced Michael Lobo’s name though he was in the party for only two years. The party did not discuss this with me about change of leadership. My karyakartas were hurt. I told them not to take it to heart.”
On being called the chief conspirator, Kamat deliberated that whenever he travelled out of Goa, such rumours were always spread. “I was attending a religious function and so could not attend the Congress meeting at Fortune Hotel. I was in Margao the whole day, at home. When Dinesh Gundu Rao called me I told him that I have just reached. He came home, met me, still he called me chief conspirator,” said Kamat.
Asked whether Kamat will join BJP as per the rumours and whether he has an offer for the saffron party, the former CM stated that this is a common phenomenon. "After each election political leaders meet me, ask why I am still in Congress, and invite to join them. All have come, but I have never given consent. When I was not made leader of the opposition, my friends from Mumbai, Delhi came to me. That’s alright. People feel, so they say. It’s part of the game. That does not mean that I have taken that decision."
What does retired hurt mean and how deeply is he hurt, asked Pramod Acharya, editor, Prudent Media, to which Kamat replied categorically that he has to take care of the feelings of his karyakartas. “I have fulfilled my responsibility that party had given me. But the party has humiliated me by not taking me into consideration or confidence. The people of Goa have reacted, they feel that I am being humiliated. My karyakartas have turned aggressive. I asked them to remain cool. When I call myself retired hurt, it means that I should rest till the injury is healed and not take any responsible position as my own party had brought this humiliation upon me.”
Reminding that it was he who gave a stable government in the State from 2007 to 2012, Kamat stated that when in 2012 the government stepped down, that time too Congress similarly treated him. “I was not given the position of the leader of the opposition. Actually, rightfully I should have been given the reigns of the party as I was aware of all the party decisions. However, I agreed to the party decision and worked. In 2017 there was again an election. Party again got a public mandate. That time too, I was not told to form the government by the party. If I was instructed to make the government, I would have made the effort. But again I was humiliated.”
