Parrikar in Goa 3 days a week, Defence Ministry in shambles: AAP

The AAP on Friday attacked Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, accusing him of spending three days a week in Goa, inspecting and clearing state government files, and leaving defence-related affairs in a shambles.

"Here, openly an extra-constitutional individual is getting into every file. As per the Constitution, he has no business looking into the files and the affairs of the (state) government...

"He visits Goa three days a week and the Defence Ministry as a result is in a shambles," Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Ashutosh told reporters at the party's state headquarters in the state capital.

"Every Friday he comes here. There is a proper office made for him, he sits on the chair, all the files reach him and when he clears (the files), only then the chief minister signs," Ashutosh also alleged.

The interference of Parrikar, a former Goa chief minister, in affairs related to the state government administration is a violation of federal polity, he added.

For the last few weeks, Parrikar has been addressing a series of "Vijay Sankalp Rally" in the state, which is expected to go to polls early next year.

Parrikar has often been criticised by opposition parties for spending several days a week in Goa and ignoring his primary and sensitive central government brief as the Defence Minister.

Parrikar has, however, said that he visits Goa to keep in touch with his political roots and that he never ignores his chores as Defence Minister despite his Goa trips.

In Goa, Parrikar operates from a Defence Ministry camp office in Panaji.

--IANS

maya/nir/bg