Hundreds of protestors and activists, including Congress supporters, marched to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s residence in Dona Paula on November 20. The protestors were reportedly demanding the CM’s resignation and a “full-time” chief minister to take over his position.
The Indian Express reported that the protestors were stopped 300 meters from Manohar Parrikar’s residence. The CM is presently recovering from a pancreatic ailment after he was discharged from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi in October.
Protesters demanding his resignation
Reportedly, the protestors marched under the banner of ‘People’s March For Restoration of Governance’ and walked for about 1 km and gave an ultimatum of 48 hours to Parrikar to step down as the CM. They have alleged that the state’s administrative function has been hindered due to Parrikar’s ill-health. He has been unwell for more than nine months and this, the protestors have alleged, made the state’s administration suffer.
Congress leaders, including the party’s Goa unit chief Girish Chodankar, Opposition leader Chandrakant Kavlekar, MLAs Digambar Kamat, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, Antonio Fernandes, Francis Silveira took part in the march reported Firstpost.
State administration “completely paralysed”
Meanwhile, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, which is a part of the BJP-led ruling alliance in Goa has reportedly filed a petition before the Bombay High Court stating that three BJP legislators including Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar are terminally ill and in no position to attend assembly session, reported NDTV. The petition has also claimed that the BJP has triggered defection from the opposition Congress party to ensure that it could not form a majority. The party even claimed that the state administration was “completely paralysed” for the last eight months owing to his illness.
In the wake of the minister’s absence, Goa revenue minister Rohan Khaunte, who is an independent MLA on November 17 alleged that bureaucrats under Parrikar’s departments were “misusing” his absence and stalling government projects, reported The Wire.
“For the last one-and-half years, along with the CM, we had decided to make Goa an IT destination. We had also initiated a number of reforms in the revenue sector. For the last 18 months, I worked 16-18 hours a day to ensure that several things get implemented by the departments under me,” he said. However, he claimed that work, which falls under his departments of the CM is getting delayed.
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