Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Forward Party Chief Vijai Sardesai, on Thursday, said that Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s gesture of visiting ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has been nullified due to his statements and the visit now appears to be with vested political interest.
Gandhi had met Parrikar on Tuesday at the Assembly Complex to enquire about his health. But later in the evening on same day made a statement in Kochi that Parrikar told him he had no role to play in new Rafale deal.
Parrikar, in a strongly worded letter, had reprimanded Gandhi for using the courtesy visit for political interest. The letter was countered by Gandhi later.
“The whole gesture itself has been nullified due to political gimmick, which is unfortunate. We had appreciated Gandhi for meeting Parrikar as a good gesture. But after that what statement he has given indicates that it was a political move,” Sardesai told reporters on Thursday.
“I myself had appreciated his visit. It looked to be a magnanimous gesture but now it appears that there was a vested political interest behind it because of his utterances that makes his whole gesture look small. That also makes him (Gandhi) look small,” the minister said.
Sardesai and Deputy Speaker and BJP MLA Michael Lobo had appreciated Gandhi for visiting the ailing chief minister.
