PANJIM: Despite video evidence, Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude on Thursday made a U-turn stating that he has been misquoted and his statement on Atal Setu’s “corruption” has been twisted by the media.
Reacting to his statements over Atal Setu ‘scam’ and Congress thanking him for ‘exposing’ corruption in the BJP government Gaude said, “I was misquoted and my original statement on Atal Setu corruption was twisted and wrongly attributed to me by a section of the media and by some people.”
Gaude claimed that he had stated that one cannot call Atal Setu a scam because it had to undergo major repair works within a few years of its construction.
“I never said there was a scam in Atal Setu Bridge and I am surprised how my statement has been twisted. You can check my original statement,” Gaude said.
“When media persons asked me that the collapse of a slab of the open-air auditorium of Kala Academy is a scam, I shot back and asked them how can collapse of a portion of a 40-year-old building be called a scam? For example, I had mentioned the Atal Setu Bridge which was closed for repairs and can we call it a scam?” he questioned.
The minister alleged that there was an attempt to tarnish his image and it was due to vengeance and he denied having said that there was a scam in Atal Setu Bridge.
On Wednesday, Gaude had said, “There was a lot of news about Atal Setu but nobody spoke of it. Also in recent times, some newspapers reported about Rs 100-Rs 130 crore scam. But nobody is talking about it nor blaming anybody.”
Meanwhile, the Opposition parties sharply reacted to Gaude’s remarks alleging that the BJP government is ‘Mission total commission’.
Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao charged that corruption is taking place in every government department and the Art and Culture Minister has now proved that the BJP government is only busy in event management.
GFP president and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said that he has moved a congratulatory motion in the House for Art and Culture Minister for boldly revealing the truth about the unprecedented and rampant corruption in this government is entrenched in.
The Opposition Congress has already thanked Gaude for ‘exposing’ BJP’s corruption over the Atal Setu bridge.
