PANJIM: Expressing concern over the health of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who has been ailing for the last four months, Congress on Friday said that Parrikar should appoint another person to take charge of the State.
Addressing the media, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar urged Parrikar to take a break from the State administration and appoint another person as chief minister as a stop gap arrangement.
“How long are we going to sympathise with the chief minister for his medical condition? We have provided full cooperation but it is not practically possible to continue it for the entire five-year term,” Chodankar said.
“We all are aware about his health. And hence, on behalf of his well wishers would like to tell the Chief Minister that his health is more important than the government. The way he is playing with his health is like a suicidal tendency,” Chodankar said, adding that it is the duty of BJP to ask Parrikar to step down as Chief Minister until he recovers fully.
Congress sought to know whether BJP is pressurising Parrikar to commit suicide by ignoring his health. “It is an irresponsible attitude of BJP to ask a person, who is suffering from a serious ailment to continue working and take so much stress,” he said.
Chodankar said Congress will support a new Chief Minister, if appointed for the time being, and will not oppose or protest just for the sake of targeting him.
Congress also alleged that the government is in the process of giving further relief to offshore casinos for continuing in River Mandovi and demanded that they be shifted out of Goa. The party also condemned the police action of issuing summons to Mahila Congress members for the involvement in the para teachers agitation earlier this year at the Secretariat.
