Margao: Senior Congress Leader Jaipal Reddy on Thursday accused Goa CM Manohar Parrikar of blackmailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi through Rafale deal to retain his chair as CM.
Reddy was addressing party’s concluding function of “Jan Akrosh” Rally at Margao town on Thursday. Congress has been moving around the State demanding resumption of the governance, which has collapsed due to health conditions of Parrikar.
The former I&B minister demanding resignation of Parrikar also said that he was sticking to the chair of CM like a leech.
“I demand the resignation of Manohar Parrikar as CM. he talks of morality, what morality is there of Mr Manohar Parrikar sticking to the chair like a leech,” Reddy said in presence of Congress leaders including State Chief Girish Chodankar, Former Goa CMs Digambar Kamat, Ravi Naik, Francisco Sardinha and others.
“I know he is in a position to blackmail Narendra Modi. He was defence minister when purchase of Rafale aircraft took place,” said Reddy referring to Parrikar.
“The agreement between Prime minister of India and President of France took place on April 14, 2014, when Parrikar was healthy at that time, he was not sick but he was not taken by the PM to Paris,” the Congress leader said.
“The PM was entering the deal worth Rs 60,000 crore and the Defence minister of India was not present, he was not aware,” Reddy added.
“When he (Parrikar) came to know later, he said one thing. Now I have come to know about the agreement, I am backing it now,” the leader claimed.
The former said the situation of minister backing PM
“is absolutely ridiculous situation.”
“I was central minister three times. When I used to do something, my PM used to back me but here is a unique case that PM does something and he needs moral support of his defence minister,” Reddy said.
He said from 2015 to March 2017, Parrikar was there as defence minister. “In all defence purchases, the purchase is first approved by Cabinet Committee on security but this was not approved,” he said referring to Rafale deal.
“Defence procurement procedure that comes into picture before the minister and the PM signs a foreign commercial deal was not cleared,” he claimed.
“Parrikar is sick but despite that he is CM. Modi is afraid of him. Is Parrikar blackmailing PM to keep to be in chair of CM? We need to think about it,” he added.
Speaking further about Goa’s current political situation, Reddy said “we have never seen such a strange situation.”
“We have seen in Ramayana that King Bharat was ruling Ayodhya by keeping the padukas of Sree Ram on the throne. But here there is Ram but there is no Bharat,” he commented.
Reddy said Parrikar-led government should be dismissed because it is running on unconstitutional lines.
“Cabinet meetings are not held. Very few people know that in our constitution, Chief Minister is referred less while council of ministers are referred more. When there is no council of ministers, how does the government run,” he questioned.
Reddy said that people of Goa are dynamic, dashing. They are known for their lively nature.
“Why should they put up with this kind of government. I don’t want to personally criticize or praise Parrikar. We respect him and pray for his speedy recovery. But the person, who is a CM, when is unwell, his first moral responsibility is to resign himself,” he added.
