'Destroyed The City': BJP MLA Babush Attacks Manohar Parrikar's Work Legacy In Panaji

‘destroyed the city’: bjp mla babush attacks manohar parrikar’s work legacy in panaji

Mumbai: In a fresh headache for Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, a minister in his government and Panaji MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate has launched an attack on the legendary BJP leader and former state CM Manohar Parrikar.

Babush, who was preferred by CM Sawant over Parrikar’s son Utpal to contest from Panaji constituency and later won, has now raised a question on late Manohar Parrikar’s work and legacy of 25 years.

“Manohar Parrikar destroyed the city of Panaji during his 25 years of politics. Tell me, what the past Panaji MLA (Manohar Parrikar) did for 25 years. Let his relatives show me one project that has been done for the people of Panjim. The consultant he appointed had embezzled crores, and we are now bearing the consequences of their misdeeds. All Smart City works are given to consultants and contractors, who have been his friends and done big projects,” Babush said in what can be considered his first attack on Parrikar’s legacy.

Babush also said that despite having engineers with 35 years of experience, Parrikar decided to rope in consultants, who were involved in mass corruption.

Babush, who is now the revenue minister in CM Sawant’s government in Goa, escalated his attack on Parrikar saying that this is the first time when BJP as a party has won in Panaji.

“For the first time, BJP has won in Panaji, earlier Parrikar used to say that he won Panaji. I contested on BJP ticket and that is how BJP won Panaji. Parrikar never wanted BJP, he wanted himself. For him, it was he first, then came the BJP,” Babush said.

Babush was reacting to Utpal Parrikar’s criticism calling him corrupt, incompetent and indifferent towards people’s problems.

Babush’s comments against Parrikar however hasn’t gone down well with the BJP leadership in Goa. State BJP spokesperson Giriraj Pai Vernekar has hit back at Babush saying nobody can undermine Parrikar’s contributions for Goa.

“Manohar Parrikar’s contribution for Goa and India is immense. He was one of the tallest leaders and that is why hailed by PM Modi also the architect of Modern Goa. When people are making attacks on it when he can’t even defend himself, it is extremely unfortunate and hurtful for the people of Goa and workers of BJP. I would request those who are attacking to learn a few things from him rather than attacking blindly,” Vernekar said.

During the Panaji byelection following Parrikar’s demise, BJP had denied Utpal the ticket at the last moment. After getting elected on a Congress ticket, Monserrate joined BJP in 2019 and was retained by CM Sawant over Utpal Parrikar in the 2022 state elections as well. Babush’s scathing attack at Parrikar serves a fresh challenge for the BJP ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The statements by Babush has given a fresh ammunition to the rival Congress party which now claims that their allegations made in 2017 with respect to Smart City in Panaji stand true now.

“The BJP stands exposed now. It was the Congress party which in 2017 had said that there was massive corruption in the making of Smart City. The present BJP MLA has now made serious corruption charges against the then BJP MLA and also the chief minister Manohar Parrikar. Goa CM Pramod Sawant should come clean now on what he has to say about this. Who is he supporting whether it is Babush or the former CM Parrikar,” Congress leader Amit Patkar said.