TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: In an interesting exchange, former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat praised Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for winning an Indian of the Year 2012 award in the politics category by a national television, saying “the right man was given the right award”, but surprisingly, Opposition Leader Pratapsing Rane warned Parrikar to be little cautious about the praises as there are several who will not lag behind in stabbing his back.
Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamledar on Tuesday moved a congratulatory motion for Chief Minister for being awarded the Indian of the Year 2012 award in the politics category and labelled him as “Singham” of Goa politics.
Supporting the motion, Rane said “while looking at the praises, one should remember that tomorrow ‘one’ will not lag behind in stabbing your back”.
“He (Parrikar) has gone through this phase during his earlier tenure as Chief Minister, and I too have also faced it,” he added.
Congratulating Parrikar, Kamat said that there has been no doubt about his vision for Goa and one should not forget that he is one leader who always came out with innovative ideas. “I feel the right man was given the right award,” he commented.
The congratulatory motion discussion on which continued for almost one-and-half-hour was supported by all legislators. Earlier, Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho praised Chief Minister stating that he richly deserves this award as it was only because of his pain and hard work that BJP under his leadership had achieved a landmark victory in the history of State assembly election.
“We have seen many chief ministers in Goa and I believe any person can become a good politician and a leader but only one can be a statesman. Parrikar is a man of calibre having a quality of true statesmanship, who can work to protect the rights of people,” he said.
Admiring the leadership quality of Parrikar, Godinho categorically stated that “he never had such feeling in Indian National Congress, since he had been in the party. I feel only one person ~ the State’s first Chief Minister Dayanand Bandodkar had that statesmanship.”
Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar also supported the motion said “in the state, where there is 34 percent minorities, it is unbelievable that BJP, termed as communal, clinched a historical victory in the assembly election.
All thanks to the great leadership qualities of Parrikar, under whose guidance the party is mushrooming.”
“It is Parrikar, who played a lead role in wiping off the party’s image as communal,” he added.
