Panaji: The urban development and social welfare minister, Milind Naik, resigned from Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant’s cabinet on Wednesday hours after Congress named him in an alleged sex scandal. Tendering his resignation from the post as a minister, Naik said it was to “ensure free and fair probe into the case”. “I have accepted his resignation and sent it to governor P S Sreedharan Pillai,” Sawant told media.
It was on November 30 that Congress state chief Girish Chodankar had first accused, without naming Naik, that a minister was involved in a “sex scandal” and gave Sawant-led BJP government an ultimatum of 15 days to act against the minister.
Last week, Sawant had said he would act if the survivor in the alleged scandal files a complaint or if Congress names the minister involved.
State Congress vice president Sankalp Amonkar had also filed a police complaint against Naik and released a purported audio conversation between the victim and the MLA.
After meeting the BJP legislator late Wednesday night, Chief Minister Sawant told reporters that Naik has resigned for a free and fair investigation into the case.
“I have accepted the resignation and also sent it to the governor. Whatever evidence the Congress has produced that we will investigate,” he said.
The chief minister also said Mr Naik told him that he will fight the case at a personal level.
The cabinet post will remain vacant and there will be no fresh induction, he said.
“I will handle all his portfolios,” Mr Girish Sawant said.
The state Assembly elections are due in February 2022.
Chodankar has demanded that police initiate a probe into the allegation against Milind Naik.
