Mumbai: Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray has attacked Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar over his remarks on returning as defense minister if he loses the state by-poll. Parrikar is contesting the Panaji assembly bypoll scheduled on August 23. Parrikar recently said that if he loses the Panaji by-poll, he has the option of returning as the defence minister.
In a strongly worded editorial in party mouthpiece Saamna, Uddhav Thackeray has even called Parrikar a failure as a defence minister. The editorial says that Parrikar must lose the Panaji by-poll and let the nation see if he really returns as defence minister.
In the editorial Uddhav says, “the misunderstanding that Manohar Parrikar is a politician with a clean image is bygone now. He himself has stamped his image as a self-centred politician. After failing miserably as the defence minister, he returned to Goa”.
“Parrikar’s arrogant statement that if he loses Panaji by-polls he will return to Delhi as defence minister has not only insulted the CMs post of Goa but has also degraded the defence minister’s post” Uddhav said.
“Actually for a ‘Mahatma’ like Parrikar the elections should have been unopposed. But he turned his back when the borders of the nation were in danger to enjoy his ‘fish curry rice’, isn’t this a great bravery ? He should get a Mahaveer Chakra for this bravery, but instead BJP made him the CM of Goa,” Uddhav quipped sarcastically in the editorial.
The Shiv Sena chief alleged that inspite of badly losing the Goa assembly elections, Parrikar managed to form the government. Uddhav said that the Goa chief minister is afraid of a defeat in the by-poll and is insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi by making such a statement. Parrikar’s statement is laughable and an insult to democracy, Uddhav has said.
“The prime minister must explain. Is the defence minister’s post so cheap and orphaned?”, Uddhav questioned.
“The country is fighting the challenges on the borders by China and Pakistan…PM is making all efforts to face them .. but when people like Parrikar degrade the defence minister’s post, he deserves to be defeated. His fear of defeat must come true. The Goans will watch whether he’d really become the defence minister. How long are they going to fool the people of Goa?”, Uddhav said.
The by-election in Panaji and Valpoi constituencies would be held on August 23.
The bypolls were necessitated following the resignations of BJP’s sitting MLA Siddharth Kuncolienkar and Congress’ Vishwajeet Rane, from Panaji and Valpoi seats, respectively.
Parrikar resigned as the defence minister after the BJP formed the government in Goa.
He was sworn-in as the chief minister on March 14 this year. He has to get elected to the Assembly within six months of taking charge as the chief minister.
