Panaji. February 5: Goa Congres today raised questions on shifting of state Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) three days after Rahul Gandhi visited him on January 29. Parrikar was admitted to the Cancer department of the AIIMS on February 1. He was hospitalised a day after he arrived at the premier healthcare facility for a check-up. After the meeting, Gandhi claimed that the Goa CM has told him that he had nothing to do with the new Rafale deal signed between the Narendra Modi government and France. However, Parrikar denied the Congress President's claims.

The Congress is attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) repeatedly for not letting Parrikar step down as CM of the state. The grand old party is demanding the resignation of the state CM on the health grounds. on Saturday, Congress legislature Reginaldo Lourenco said, “He should honourably resign or rather give charge to somebody. I'm not here to dictate terms, his party will dictate terms to him. But don’t go to assembly with that pipe in the nose, all things coming out from your pocket. It doesn’t suit you.”

The 63-year-old BJP veteran is reeling under pancreatic ailments since January last year. After returning from a New York-based medical facility in May last year, the former Defence Minister was hospitalised at the AIIMS in June 2018. After eight months Parrikar made a public appearance on January 27 when he inaugurated a 5.1-km bridge in Mandovi along with Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. Meanwhile, on January 28, the former defence minister also presented the budget in the Goa Legislative Assembly.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 05, 2019 11:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).