Goa Pradesh Congress general secretary and spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar on Tuesday petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and direct the State BJP leadership and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to cancel the birthday bash planned for the 60th birthday of the former chief minister of Goa on December 13.
Opining that the celebrations in the wake of the floods in Chennai and high alert at LOC is morally incorrect, Congress requested PM Modi to direct the Goa BJP unit to donate the funds collected towards provision of relief for the victims of Chennai floods.
“What has shocked us is his (Parrikar’s) acceptance of such a mega birthday celebration at a time when the country is going through difficult times,” states the petition, which goes on to allege that the Goa BJP’s arrogant refusal to cancel the bash shows their insensitiveness towards the pain of fellow countrymen.
The petition further requested PM Modi to direct the Goa BJP to reconsider their decision as Defence Minister Parrikar now has a responsibility towards the entire country and not just the State anymore.
“The celebration at a time when hundreds are mourning the death of their loved ones in Chennai, it will only reflect on your governance of our country,” it stated.
Meanwhile, a complaint was also filed on Tuesday by Adv Aires Rodrigues before the Goa Human Rights Commission over the 60th birthday celebrations of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, taking strong exception to the event being held on SAG grounds.
Adv Rodrigues, in his complaint, stated that the government not only has a constitutional but a moral obligation to see that the sports ground is exclusively used for sports and fitness purposes, and not for hosting of birthday celebrations and political parties, even if the same is supported by the government.
Adv Rodrigues said that the citizens of Goa, and more particularly, the sportsmen and senior citizens of the State of Goa have a fundamental right for unobstructed use of the SAG ground, and that the usage of the ground for holding of Manohar Parrikar’s birthday is violative of Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India.
