Parrikar’s photo blitz reveals his greed for power: Ex-Goa RSS chief

Panaji, Jan 19 (IANS) Photographs of ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, which are being released by the BJP and state government agencies, reveal weakness and a greed to cling to power, former Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar said on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Velingkar also said that the populace of Goa is suffering due to chronic lack of governance, demanding that Parrikar hand over charge of at least some of the 20-odd government departments to a Deputy Chief Minister, in order to ensure that governance and administration is not hindered.

"May the Lord give him (Parrikar) better health and longer life, but the condition of his body is not well. He cannot even walk two steps. He has to be held from the rear. Tubes have to be slipped in his mouth. Goans cannot see him like this. He is weak and still clinging on to the chair...," Velingkar told.

Velingkar's comments come at a time photographs of Parrikar -- who is suffering from pancreatic cancer and has rarely attended public functions and office over the last 11 months -- were released to the media by state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) officials or government outreach agencies recently.

The photographs of Parrikar, still wearing medical paraphernelia, inspecting an under-construction bridge, speaking to officials of CMO, ministers, bureaucrats over the last few weeks during rare interactions have evoked a mixed response. While his supporters have commended him for braving his illness, the opposition has said that the photo blitz was aimed at garnering sympathy and slighted the former Defence Minister for sticking to his chair "at any cost".

Velingkar -- who was Goa state chief of the RSS for two decades and is known to have groomed several top state BJP leaders including Parrikar -- also said that governance in Goa has become a "flop" because of the poor health of the Chief Minister.