PANJIM: Adamant on maintaining the confidentiality of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s health, many queries by the High Court of Bombay at Goa on the petition seeking his medical bulletin were not answered by the Goa government during the final arguments on Wednesday.
During an extensive argument led by Advocate General Dattaprasad Lawande on the maintainability of the petition filed by activist Trajano D’Mello, the bench comprising Justices RM Borde and Prithviraj K Chavan sought to know whether Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma had consulted the CM before filing the affidavit last Friday. While this query was unanswered, two other questions on whether the Chief Secretary could raise the right to privacy argument on behalf of the CM and if the latter’s health bulletin could be submitted to the court in a sealed cover, were also not replied to.
The government argued that the petition seeking a bulletin on the CM’s health is not in good faith as it intends to affect his fundamental rights and the right to his privacy.
“The present petition is absolutely lacking in utmost good faith which is an essential prerequisite for the maintainability of public interest litigation. The petitioner through this PIL indirectly seeks to assail the right of privacy of CM, as an individual. There is no genuine grievance by the petitioner to substantiate his allegation of administrative collapse in the State,” the government counsel argued based on the Chief Secretary’s submission to the court.
Counsel for the petitioner Adv Rohit Bras De Sa countered the submissions of the government by pointing out to various news articles wherein Cabinet ministers have also questioned the inefficiency of the administration. He also placed before the court that they are only concerned if the CM is capable of discharging his duties.
“We do not need minute details of CM’s health but want to know if he is capable to run the administration of the State,” De Sa argued. The petitioner sought to know in whose custody was the CM at present, who is treating him and why is he not seen in public.
The bench, after hearing arguments on Tuesday and Wednesday, has reserved its verdict.
