Insult to Manohar Parrikar, says NCP's Jitendra Awhad on BJP denying ticket to Utpal Parrikar

NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said on Wednesday that BJP's refusal to provide a ticket to former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal Parrikar meant that BJP had forgotten Parrikar's contribution to politics in Goa.

Panaji: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jitendra Awhad said on Wednesday that BJP's refusal to provide a ticket to former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal Parrikar for the upcoming Goa assembly elections proved that BJP had forgotten Parrikar's contributions to Goa and its politics.

Awhad arrived in Goa on Tuesday with fellow NCP leader Praful Patel after the party decided to fight assembly elections alongside Shiv Sena.

"Manohar Parikar has made a unique contribution to the politics of Goa. He was a leader of Govekars. But BJP has forgotten his contribution. That is why today Utpal Parrikar has to fight for the Assembly ticket, this is a very unfortunate time for BJP", Awhad said, while speaking to ETV Bharat.

"In Goa, as in the case of Maharashtra, it was necessary to form a Mahavikas Aghadi to keep the BJP out of power, but the experiment failed due to a different approach taken by the Congress. Therefore, the decision of the Congress party is unfortunate", he further added.

Awhad also referred to former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis' comment that BJP will return to power in the state, saying that people of the country were angered towards the ruling party for various atrocities committed against Muslims and Christians across the nation.