Team Herald
PANJIM: Urging its alliance partner MGP to stop ‘blackmailing’ the coalition government, Independent MLA and Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude said the regional party should withdraw its support to the government, if they are not happy.
“Why is it that MGP always blackmails? If they are not happy with what is happening in the government or what BJP is doing, then they should withdraw support and let the government fall. Why do they want to continue in the government and talk against it?” Gaude said on Monday.
Gaude was reacting to MGP’s decision to contest the upcoming by-elections in Shiroda and also referring to the party’s move of going to court against its ally BJP over induction of former Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte. “They (MGP) went to Court against BJP stating what they did was wrong. If that is the case, why are you in the government? Withdraw support. Don’t use blackmail tactics every time,” he said.
“Those who really intend to do something, their action speaks more than the words. Blackmailing won’t last long,” the Minister said referring to MGP’s past moves to give ultimatums to BJP to hand over charge to the senior-most Minister in the cabinet in the absence of ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Taking a further dig at the MGP, Gaude said, “The party itself is divided, one leader who is in government has nothing to say against the government, another leader who is outside the government is talking against the government. Party has no united stand.”
Gaude admitted that in coalition governments, alliance partners will always have some issues and hence there is need to sit across the table and discuss.
The minister also said that the cabinet meeting held on December 20, has led to a positive impact on the bureaucracy with pending files, being cleared. “Cabinet meeting had a huge impact. CM gave clear instructions to the officers to work and to clear the files. Since then, everything is falling in place. Works are happening,” he stated.
