PANAJI
The opposition parties have slammed the Pramod Sawant-led government over alleged corruption and have accused it of indulging in “selective targeting” while seeking clarity over the removal of Minister Govind Gaude.
Art and Culture Minister Gaude was on Wednesday dropped from the State cabinet, almost a month after he alleged corruption in the tribal welfare department headed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. Gaude, a tribal leader, had said that the department was inefficient and alleged that the officers were accepting bribes to clear files.
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 said that though it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister to decide who will stay in his cabinet, there cannot be “selective targeting”.
Alemao also warned that people would hold the government accountable in the 2027 elections. “The people of Goa in 2027 will make sure that most of the people are sent home,” he said.
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 government has hurt the sentiments of the community,” he said.
“The real corruption lies within departments controlled by the CM himself. There are allegations of corruption against several ministers. 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.
AAP Goa president Amit Palekar, in a post on his X handle, welcomed Gaude's removal and claimed his party, with the help of the people of the State, would bring down the Sawant government.
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.
