the goan I network
PANAJI
Terming the decision to continue with the ailing Manohar Parrikar as Chief Minister in Goa as “arrogance” of the BJP, the Congress on Sunday claimed that Parrikar was intimidating his party’s leadership with secrets of the Rafale deal to stay put in office.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee chief Girish Chodankar said at a news conference in Panaji that it is shocking that BJP national president Amit Shah is so insensitive towards the people of Goa who have suffered a paralysis of governance for nearly seven months due to Parrikar’s absence on account of his medical treatment.
Finances are in doldrums and the State is continuously borrowing, Chodankar said, adding that the administration too has completely collapsed over the last seven months. He also alleged that Parrikar is refusing to resign as chief minister by intimidating Shah with secrets related to the Rafale deal for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being accused of massive corruption.
“I think Parrikar is using them (Rafale deal secrets) now. They are being blackmailed,” Chodankar alleged.
“The top BJP leadership has no courage to extract a resignation from Parrikar because as Defence Minister he had a lot of information about the Rafale deal,” Chodankar said.
Chodankar said, with Parrikar and two other ministers (Francis D’Souza and Pandurang Madkaikar) absent due to hospitalisation, crucial files are held up and the government is virtually not functioning severely affecting the general public.
He said, the Congress party will continue to press for its demand placed before the Governor staking claim to form an alternative government to alleviate the troubles of the Goan people due to the governance stalemate.
Chodankar also hit out at the two allies in the government -- MGP and Goa Forward Party -- saying it appears that the leaders of these parties are more accountable to the BJP high command rather than the people who elected them.
