Team Herald
PANJIM: The demise of Chief Minister
Manohar Parrikar has shattered the nation with the entire country in a state of
mourning. Known to be one of the most down-to-earth political personalities, he
won everyone’s heart as he was also very close to his party karyakartas and the
people.
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He was also applauded for shedding
extra security despite being covered under Z plus category, and led a simple life abjuring fancy vehicles. Despite this,
he faced criticism from certain sections for inspecting a guard of honour in
leather sandal.
The outspoken characteristic that he
carried dragged him into controversies, but the IITian would be quick to blame
the media for ‘misquoting’ him.
Here are some
of his controversial statements:
·
In 2009, CM Parrikar equated veteran BJP leader L K Advani to
rancid pickle.
“Pickle tastes good when it is left to mature for a year. But if you keep it
for more than two years, it turns rancid…Advaniji’s period is more or less
over. Another couple of years and after that he should act as a guardian or
mentor for the party. It’s like Sachin Tendulkar. However mature an
innings he may play, he will have to stop playing sometime,” he had said.
·
As defence minister he had said that India should do a
rethink on no-first-use of nuclear weapons policy
·
Had also slammed actor Aamir Khan for saying he and wife felt
unsafe in present-day India he should be taught a lesson for life. “One actor
had said that his wife wants to live out of India. It was an arrogant
statement. Anyone speaking against the country must be taught a lesson in the
same way that an ‘actor’ and an ‘online trading company’ were taught.
·
Had taken a dig at the political situation in Delhi in 2016
likening it to pollution. “Look at the pollution in Delhi. You are not sure if
your flight will take off. But that pollution will go away. Delhi’s real
pollution is political pollution. That has to go,” he said.
Interesting
statements
·
Going
to Pakistan or going to hell is the same
·
I
am uncomfortable in western outfits like suits. Compared to the previous defence
minister, my dress is much better
·
Someone
said I am straight forward. I think the defence minister should not be straight
when it comes to ensuring the safety of the country. In matters of the
country’s defence, I can think tedha (wily)
U-turn
·
Parrikar,
as the then Leader of Opposition and Chairman of PAC, had pegged Rs 5,000 crore
scam in the mining industry. Later, he retracted his statement claiming the scam
is of Rs 3,000 crore.
·
In
his PAC report, he had pointed fingers at former mines minister and ex-CM
Digambar Kamat for illegal mining but the State’s complaints to the Goa Police
did not mention any names except for the years when the illegal mining activity
was carried out
·
As
the Opposition leader between 2007 and 2012, he promised to review and revise
the final Regional Plan 2021 which was already notified by the then Digambar
Kamat led government. However, when Parrikar returned to power in the 2012 Assembly
elections, he only kept the plan in abeyance to later put in operations in
2018.
·
He
also led a protest against the then Congress government for giving grants to
English medium, protested on the streets and demanded grants to elementary
schools in mother tongue but continued with the same policy even after taking
over the reins of the State in 2012
·
While
in the Opposition, he launched anti-casinos campaign and during the election
campaign in 2012, promised Goans to get rid of casinos. However, not only
casinos continued in River Mandovi, two more were added and his government then
made fresh statements to shift away from River Mandovi. There is no Gaming
Commissioner and Casino Policy
·
One
of the activists had counter around 32 U-turns made by the CM
