PANAJI: A day after Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude was dropped from the cabinet, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the decision was his own, without elaborating on the reason for the move.
“It was my decision,” Sawant told reporters outside the Mantralaya today when asked about Gaude’s removal. He refused to comment further and ruled out any cabinet reshuffle “as of now”.
The removal comes nearly a month after Gaude publicly criticised the state’s tribal welfare department, headed by the Chief Minister himself, calling it inefficient and alleging that officers were accepting bribes to clear files. The remarks, made during a state-level function on May 26, triggered backlash from the ruling BJP, which warned of action.
While the government has remained tight-lipped about the cause of Gaude’s removal, the Opposition has demanded transparency and clarity.
Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao said the decision reflected the BJP's intolerance towards those who speak up against corruption. “There are multiple allegations of corruption against various ministers, but the action seems selective. This only proves that the BJP punishes those who expose the rot, not those who are part of it,” he said. Alemao also warned that people would hold the government accountable in the 2027 elections.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Patkar echoed similar sentiments. “Gaude is being made a scapegoat. He is an ST leader, and this shows the government has no regard for the tribal community. The real corruption lies within departments controlled by the CM himself. Why haven’t those ministers been removed?” Patkar asked, adding that the entire government “needs to be dissolved”.
Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai questioned the timing of the move. “When allegations were made against Gaude during the Kala Academy renovation controversy, the government shielded him. But now, because he has spoken about corruption within the government, he has been dropped. The CM must clarify the real reason behind this decision,” Sardesai said.
Revolutionary Goans Party chief Manoj Parab welcomed Gaude’s removal but said it was long overdue. “He was not fit to be the Art and Culture Minister. Under his tenure, institutions like the Kala Academy suffered. Even as Sports Minister, he failed. Now that he has been dropped, he must come clean and expose those behind the corruption. If he speaks the truth, the ST community will support him,” Parab said.
