PANAJI: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s statement on Thursday, hinting Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s return to Goa as Chief Minister, is an indication that the BJP is on a shaky wicket, because the former Chief Minister’s image has been sullied, said Subhash Velingkar, mentor of the Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) chief, on Saturday.
At a press conference to announce the GSM’s candidate for the city, Mr. Velingkar said, “It is sort of a bait. But it will not work in Goa any longer. Mr. Parrikar’s return will be a disadvantage.”
Mr. Velingkar was sacked as RSS Goa chief last year following his confrontation with the BJP government over medium of instruction at primary schools. Mr. Velingkar is the convenor of an alliance of the GSM, MGP, and the Shiv Sena, which is out to ‘teach a lesson to the BJP for betraying the people by continuing grants to English medium primary schools’.
Commenting on Laxmikant Parsekar as Chief Minister, Mr. Velingkar said, “Mr. Parsekar is a dummy; everything is being controlled by Mr. Parrikar in Delhi.”
