PANAJI
: The Congress party challenged the stance Goa government, which a day earlier insisted that chief minister
Manohar Parrikar’s health “cannot be subjected to scrutiny”. Speaking to reporters after a
Pradesh Congress Committee
meeting, Goa desk in charge and AICC secretary A ChellaKumar said that voters have a right to know about the health of their chief minister.
“The voter is entitled to know about the health status of the chief minister,” said ChellaKumar. “Money is not being spent from his (Parrikar’s) own pocket but it goes from the common man’s tax.”
The Goa government on December 7 stated before the high court of Bombay at Goa that the public interest litigation (PIL) filed seeking status of Parrikar’s health indirectly attacks the chief minister’s fundamental right to privacy and that his health problems “cannot be subjected to scrutiny”.
Social activist Trajano D’Mello has filed the PIL which, the chief secretary of Goa
Dharmendra Sharma, in his affidavit claimed was not maintainable as it did not serve larger public interest.
“The BJP government is paying for the treatment of the chief minister from taxes. Parrikar is also the representative of the people and definitely as a voter, I have all the rights,” ChellaKumar said.