Tuesday 23 / April / 2024
Panaji: In the wake of the militant strike on camps of the Army and the BSF in north Kashmir's Baramulla on Sunday night, the Goa unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said it has cancelled a felicitation ceremony of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar which was scheduled for Tuesday.
"The felicitation, which was planned to be held on October 4, stands cancelled due to the terrorist attack on army base at Baramulla," BJP state unit president Vinay Tendulkar told PTI on Monday.
He added that the ceremony has not be postponed but cancelled altogether.
Stating that it was Parrikar's request to cancel the function, Tendulkar added that the BJP local unit too had decided last night not to go ahead with the event following the attack.
At least two terrorists and a BSF personnel were killed, while one BSF jawan was injured when militants attacked two adjoining camps of Army and the paramilitary force at Baramulla late Sunday night.
BJP had decided to host public reception for Parrikar at Azad Maidan for Tuesday for the "successful surgical strikes" across the Line of Control (LoC).
On Saturday, the party had announced that they would bring Parrikar in a procession from Dabolim airport to Panaji.
BJP's decision had evoked strong reaction from different quarters, including party's ally Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) stating that such an event should not be held when our soldiers are braving militants on the border.
MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar had told reporters in Vasco that even Parrikar would not accept such a felicitation.
Newly-formed Goa Forward Party, which was the first one to oppose the felicitation, had cautioned BJP against politicising the efforts of brave soldiers.
Congress had also expressed its discontent with the planned programme.
