Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday broke his silence on the removal of Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude from the cabinet, stating that the decision was his own.
“It was my decision,” Sawant said speaking to reporters outside Mantralaya on Thursday, while refusing to give an elaborate comment on the move to sack Gaude.
When asked whether there is cabinet reshuffle on the cards, he said “Nothing as of now.”
He said that he will inform the media as and when there is any changes in the cabinet.
Gaude, a 53-year-old tribal leader, representing Priol Assembly constituency on BJP ticket, was sacked from the cabinet on Wednesday.
The minister was sacked days after his remarks on the functioning of State Tribal Welfare Department.
Addressing a state-level function on May 26, Gaude had dubbed the state tribal welfare department inefficient and claimed its officers were taking bribes to sign files, drawing a sharp reaction from the BJP, which warned of action.
