PANAJI
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s unscheduled departure for the United States for medical treatment of uncertain duration sent ripples in Goa’s political and government circles with the ruling BJP dispatching a team to Mumbai to confabulate with the leader before his departure on Wednesday.
A core team of the ruling BJP air-dashed to Mumbai and confabulated with Parrikar at the Mumbai hospital. Rajya Sabha MP and Goa BJP chief, Vinay Tendulkar, South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar, BJP treasurer Sanjiv Desai, BJP general secretary Sadanand Tanavade and vice-president Dutta Kholkar were among the leaders who met the chief minister.
“The chief minister is fine and will return to Goa soon,” said Sawaikar after the meeting.
The BJP’s Mayem MLA, Pravin Zantye, also met Parrikar and claimed that he was in a “relaxed mood”. Zantye also posted photographs of his brief meeting with Parrikar at the Leelavati Hospital on a social media site.
Also on Wednesday, Union minister for AYUSH, Shripad Naik, sent tongues wagging when he indicated that the intervention of the BJP Central leadership will be resorted to sort out the political situation arising out of Parrikar’s medical condition and that of a number of other cabinet
ministers.
BJP’s North Goa MP and Union Minister Shripad Naik on Wednesday did not rule out a return to state politics, saying that as disciplined soldiers the partymen took up any responsibility entrusted by the party.
Naik said, the Central leadership will be apprised about the local situation in Goa. “We are disciplined soldiers of the party. Whatever work the party gives us, we do it. The party will take a decision. After that things will move ahead,” the Union Minister of State for AYUSH told the media here.
Responding to questions on how the criticism faced by the party and the government in Goa during the absences of the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues will be tackled, Naik said, he along with Sawaikar, Tendulkar and Tanavade, will visit Delhi and meet party chief Amit Shah to find a temporary “alternate arrangement”.
“It is his prerogative. I don’t know about it,” Naik said when asked whether it was possible that Parrikar may step down due to his ill-health.
The AYUSH Minister said the BJP’s priority was to ensure Parrikar regains his health. He also said, that he had just got the information that Parrikar had faced a “minor complication” at Mumbai and is referred back to the US.
“We have been told that he will be back in eight days,” he said, adding that there should be some arrangement.
“It should be done as soon as possible. The party will decide at the earliest,” Naik said, adding that he was aware of the intense criticism and bad press faced by the party and its government in Goa on this count.
