Ponda: Claiming that he was dropped from the state cabinet “for speaking the truth”, Priol MLA and former Art and Culture minister Govind Gaude on Sunday said he will not quit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and continue to work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the vision of a developed India by 2047.
“There are rumours, but I will not resign as BJP MLA, as only the people of Priol can ask for my resignation. I will continue to serve the people of Priol until they trust me,” Gaude said addressing a public meeting in Marcel. Gaude said he will write to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and national president of BJP J P Nadda about the “mistreatment” he received recently and “the happenings in the state”.
Alleging that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant did not allow him to meet the central leaders of BJP for the last three and half years, Gaude said, “CM Sawant told me that there was pressure from J P Nadda and asked me to resign. But he (Sawant) later told the media that it was his decision (to remove me from the cabinet).”
Gaude made a veiled remark on state BJP president Damodar ‘Damu’ Naik for commenting on him and announcing action without hearing him out.
Claiming that he was sacked as his allegations were true, Gaude said, “Otherwise I would have not been dropped without a proper inquiry.”
It may be noted that Gaude had alleged corruption in the Tribal Welfare Department, which is headed by CM Pramod Sawant, during a Prerna Din programme held in Ponda on May 25.
Narrating his political journey, Gaude said BJP needed him in 2017 and he provided support to the party when he was an Independent MLA. The Priol MLA said he later contributed during the 2019 Shiroda by-election and then played a role in pushing for Sawant’s name as CM following the demise of former CM Manohar Parrikar. Gaude also said his contributions in the sports and civil supplies departments were ignored.
