Parrikar not to celebrate 63rd birthday; BJP to hold events

Ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who will turn 63 Thursday, will not celebrate his birthday in public, but his party BJP has decided to organise various events to mark the occasion.

This will be the first time Parrikar will not be celebrating his birthday in public after becoming an MLA over two decades ago.

"Since doctors have advised rest to the CM and he has been asked to avoid public contact, he will not be stepping out of his home to celebrate birthday," Goa BJP spokesman Siddharth Kunkolienkar told PTI.

The former Panaji MLA said it would be for the first time since 1994, when he became an MLA, that Parrikar will not be among the members of public to celebrate his birthday.

"Even when he was Defence Minister, he used to fly to the state to celebrate his birthday," said Kunkolienkar, who had resigned from the Panaji assembly constituency to make way for Parrikar to get elected in 2017.

He said BJP workers and well wishers of Parrikar would be holding a special prayer at Mahalaxmi Temple in Panaji on December 13 morning.

"We would be praying for his health and speedy recovery," he said.

The BJP's Panaji unit has organised a blood donation camp at party headquarters, which has been a practice since 2006, on the occasion.

"There will be celebrations with special children from two schools - Disha Trust and People's School for Special Children. Parrikar had been visiting theseschools on his birthday without fail," Kunkolienkar said.

Parrikar has been recuperating at his private residence at Dona Paula near here since October 14 when he was discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.