
Dropped from Goa Cabinet after alleging graft in CM-led dept., Gaude ratchets up attack
Addressing a public rally at Marcel village, Mr. Gaude said he has written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief J.P. Nadda, and President Droupadi Murmu informing them about 'happenings in the coastal State'.The tribal leader was sacked from the Sawant Cabinet on Wednesday, almost a month after he alleged corruption in the Tribal Welfare Department.
Mr. Gaude said he would not resign as an MLA or from the BJP membership.
'I had not joined the BJP to resign from the party. I will stay with the party and help PM Modi achieve his dream of Viksit Bharat 2047,' he added.
Mr. Gaude claimed he was not allowed to meet the party brass, including Mr. Nadda, during the last three-and-a-half years. 'Now, I know why they did it,' he added.
He claimed Mr. Sawant had called him over the phone and asked him to resign due to 'pressure from Mr. Nadda'.
'Mr. Sawant told me that there was pressure from Mr. Nadda and asked me to resign. But he [Mr. Sawant] later told the media that it was his decision (to remove me from the Cabinet),' Mr. Gaude alleged.
60-year struggle
Mr. Gaude said tribals in Goa have been struggling for justice for the last 60 years.
'I am fighting for their rights. Their demands should have been discussed, not the statement that I made about inefficiency and corruption in the Tribal Welfare department,' the former Minister said.
He added that he would send copies of his speech to BJP leaders in Delhi to prevent wrong interpretation or narrative.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
39 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Detained in Delhi days ago, ‘Bengal family' of three pushed into Bangladesh
IN A fresh incident, a family of three, including their minor son, was detained in Delhi as 'illegal Bangladeshis' and then finally 'pushed into the neighbouring country,' their relatives said. The relatives claimed that the family hails from Birbhum in West Bengal. A senior police officer in Delhi said that Danish Sheikh, his wife Sunali Khatun and their minor son have 'all been deported to Bangladesh after proper verification'. This comes close on the heels of such detentions in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. Recently, a total of seven persons, hailing from West Bengal, were detained by the Mumbai police and pushed into Bangladesh by BSF at 3:30 am on June 14. Apart from four youths in Murshidabad, one from Purba Bardhaman, a husband–wife duo from North 24 Parganas district was brought back from Bangladesh after Bengal government's intervention. After intervention by the TMC government in Bengal, the individuals were brought back and sent to their homes. 'They all have been deported to Bangladesh on June 26 after proper verification at the local police level first and after that a thorough interrogation by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office office. They hail from Bagerhat, Bangladesh,' said Rajeev Ranjan, DCP (Rohini). 'This cannot be tolerated. This is happening every day. Despite showing all proof, including land records, this has happened,' claimed Samirul Islam, chairman of the migrant labour welfare board and Rajya Sabha MP. 'Our government has intervened, but the administration in BJP-ruled states and in Delhi are not paying heed. We will move to court on Monday and appeal to the court to produce them before the judge. Is it a fault to speak in Bengali outside Bengal?' claimed Islam. According to the family members, Sheikh, his wife Sunali and their minor son were picked up by the police and taken to a police station in Delhi. The family members claimed they (Sheikh and his wife) belong to Paikar village under Muraroi police station limits in Birbhum district. 'They are migrant labourers who have been working as ragpickers in Delhi for the last 20 years. They were picked up by the police on July 18. All documents, including land deeds, were provided to the police. But they didn't budge,' said Roshni Bibi, a cousin of Sunali, speaking to The Indian Express over phone from Delhi. 'Their second child, a girl, was not detained as she was with a relative in another place. We did not know what happened to the family until they called us from Bangladesh. They said someone has given them shelter there but could not specify the location,' said Roshni Bibi. 'They worked for several years in Delhi as ragpickers. Like most migrant workers, they visit their native village during festivities. They visited here and left for Delhi just one-and-a-half months ago,' said Rocky Sheikh, a cousin of Sunali and a resident of Birbhum. Ravik Bhattacharya is the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. Over 20 years of experience in the media industry and covered politics, crime, major incidents and issues, apart from investigative stories in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands. Ravik won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for political reporting. Ravik holds a bachelor degree with English Hons from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University and a PG diploma in mass communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik started his career with The Asian Age and then moved to The Statesman, The Telegraph and Hindustan Times. ... Read More

The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
BJP slams Uddhav Thackeray over remarks on Patel community in Gujarat
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat on Saturday (July 5, 2025) hit back at Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray for his claims that the saffron party 'instigated' the Patel community and isolated it from others to secure electoral victories in the state. Gujarat BJP spokesperson Dr. Rutvij Patel dismissed Mr. Thackeray's comments, stating that the Sena leader was unaware of Gujarat's political dynamics. 'Uddhav Thackeray does not know anything about Gujarat. Here, the BJP and the Patidar community (Patels) are two sides of the same coin. The BJP has given Gujarat three Patidar chief ministers and several state unit presidents,' Mr. Patel said. He further pointed out that current Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and multiple ministers in the state government belong to the Patidar community. 'Mr. Thackeray should have done his homework before making such baseless remarks,' he added. Another BJP spokesperson, Hitendra Patel, accused Mr. Thackeray of adopting the 'language of Congress' and attempting to create divisions. 'The Patidar community played a crucial role in the BJP's rise in Gujarat, and the party has equally contributed to the community's progress. Four state BJP presidents and three chief ministers—Keshubhai Patel, Anandiben Patel, and Bhupendra Patel—were from the Patidar community,' he said. 'It does not befit Mr. Thackeray to speak like Congress, which thrives on dividing people along caste and religious lines,' Mr. Hitendra Patel added. Mr. Thackeray's remarks came during a rally in Mumbai celebrating the Maharashtra government's decision to withdraw two orders introducing Hindi in state schools from Class 1. He alleged that the BJP 'instigated' the Patels in Gujarat ahead of the 2017 assembly polls to polarize voters. 'What did they do in Gujarat? The atmosphere was such that Patels would defeat the BJP. But they provoked the Patel community, isolated them, and mobilized everyone else to win,' Mr. Thackeray claimed. He further accused the BJP of employing similar tactics in Haryana and Maharashtra, alleging that the party incited Jats and Marathas, respectively, to consolidate other communities in its favor.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Santosh Lad denies ministers' rift with CM
Ballari: Labour minister Santosh Lad dismissed speculations on Saturday regarding cabinet ministers' alleged dissatisfaction with chief minister 's leadership. During a press interaction on Saturday, Lad questioned the basis of these claims and urged the media to address substantial state issues. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Who has claimed that ministers are dissatisfied with the CM? Who informed the media about this discontent? Please refrain from raising such unfounded questions. Instead, let's focus on the challenges facing the state," he stated. Discussing development funds, Lad noted that the state administration should seek clarification from the Centre regarding the lack of financial support. "It is true that grants for MLA HR Gaviyappa were not received. But, you have to ask him directly for details. We recently presented a budget and allocated more funds than the previous BJP administration. We have invested more across various departments when compared to them," he remarked. Lad noted that small variations within a democratic system are normal and asked the media not to interpret it as a form of governmental instability. Regarding Aland MLA BR Patil's recent statements, he said, "CM and Deputy CM communicated with him. If people are questioning whether Siddaramaiah will serve his full term, they should also inquire if Prime Minister Modi will complete his term. Our govt is enjoying full majority, while Modi's is a coalition. " Concerning BJP leader CN Ravikumar's contentious statements, Lad said the choice to apologise rests with him. However, "Such comparisons are disrespectful. He previously insulted a Muslim officer by labelling her a Pakistani, and now he has disrespected a Hindu woman. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Is Shalini Rajanish not a Hindu? Why demean her? We inhabit a society where people should feel ashamed of such statements. Such comments do not contribute to development. Everyone should learn how to communicate appropriately in public," Lad said. When asked about Ballari district minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan's absence and insufficient attention to the district, Santosh Lad said, "I will discuss this with him."