Hypocrisy, says Congress, as Parrikar drops ministers on health grounds

“If they're dropping ministers on health grounds, it's laughable. It's hypocrisy when Chief Minister is on bed whose condition is worse than other two ministers and they're dropped on health grounds and CM is continuing,” ANI reported Goa Congress President Girish Chodankar as saying, after news that two ailing ministers in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government were dropped from the Goa cabinet on Monday, on health grounds.

The ministers who have been dropped from the cabinet are Francis D'Souza, who holds the Urban Development Ministry portfolio and Pandurang Madkaikar, who was in-charge of the Power Ministry. D'Souza, who is being treated for cancer at a New York hospital, said with some sarcasm: "I am happy with the decision. This is the fruit of working for the party for 20 long years. I have been ill for only one month." Madkaikar is being treated in Mumbai since June when he suffered a brain stroke.

A government statement said that BJP MLA from Mormugao, Milind Naik, a former Power Minister, and BJP MLA from Curchorem, Nilesh Cabral, would be inducted into the state cabinet later in the day.

BJP national president Amit Shah on September 23 had hinted at a ministerial rejig in a tweet, which also said that Parrikar, who is being treated for advanced pancreatic cancer at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences would, however, continue as the Chief Minister.

Parrikar has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and now Delhi, for the last seven months.

With IANS inputs