Goa minister Francis D’Souza threatens to quit BJP after being dropped from Manohar Parrikar cabinet; says ‘I’m fighting for my self-respect’

Unhappy on being dropped from the Manohar Parrikar-led cabinet, Goa BJP legislator threatens to quit the party saying that it’s a fight for his ‘self-respect’.

D’Souza is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in the US. He was overseeing the urban development department in the cabinet. He along with Pandurang Madkaikar, who had the power ministry portfolio, was recently dropped from the Cabinet of Goa government after Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar fell seriously ill.

D’Souza said “I will resign from the Goa BJP unit’s core committee once I am back on October 15. I don’t want anything from the party in the future. Even if offered, I will not take up any government position. I am fighting for my self-respect. If you can’t respect that, then I don’t want anything from you. It’s all over”

Ruling out to quit as an MLA, D’Souza said “I have been elected by my voters for five years, so there is no question of resigning as a legislator. If I resign, I would be disrespecting my voters”.

He reportedly wondered if this was the reward given to him by the party for his 20-year-long loyalty.

He also said “Nobody can interfere in the chief minister’s right. There is no role of the party high command in my dismissal from the cabinet”. Targeting Parrikar, he said that he does not take advice from anyone, including the party high command.

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