Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar today said there was no need for an inquiry or action against anyone for the omission of Gandhi Jayanti from state government's list of industrial and commercial holidays, as it was just a “typing error”.
“Gandhi Jayanti will remain to be public holiday and we have not cancelled it. I feel it was a typing mistake. The date does not figure in the calendar of industrial and commercial holidays,” Parsekar told reporters today. However, Parsekar refused to inquire into the error or initiate the action.
“How can we inquire or take action against such a typing mistake?” he said in response to a question. The government did not intend to drop the holiday, Parsekar said adding, “It is mentioned on the government calendar and also on our list of public holidays. It was not only in the industrial and commercial holidays.”
The list, which was released on Saturday by the General Administration Department (GAD) of Goa government, had evoked strong reaction from the opposition benches. The list had maintained all other holidays, except Gandhi Jayanti.
Strongly opposing the BJP-ruled state's decision, senior Congress leader P C Chacko had said yesterday, “BJP's mindset is a very sick mindset. ... Can any state government take a decision like this? This kind of decision they have taken is anti-national.”
He had said the central government “should immediately direct the state government to correct this. I am still in shock after hearing about this. No government in India has the right to do that. This is a very senseless decision which they have taken.”
His party colleague and Congress spokesman Anand Sharma had also said no state government can do it because it is a national holiday.
“They can't do it. Gandhi is the father of nation. Even last year children were asked to go to school on October 2,” Sharma said.
Refusing to be drawn into the controversy, the RSS had only said the number of holidays in the country should come down for improved work culture.
“I don't know the reasons for this decision. We will see why it happened. But, according to a survey, people in India hardly work for 150-155 days a year on account of holidays. Their number must come down for better work culture,” RSS General Secretary Suresh Joshi said in Nagpur when asked about the Goa government's decision.
