In a controversial statement directed at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his recent tongue surgery, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday said the Aam Aadmi Party leader’s tongue had to be trimmed as it had grown long due to speaking much against Prime Minister and him.
However, the minister also sympathised with the AAP chief for being on "sick leave".
"In Delhi he speaks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and here (in Goa) he speaks against me. Due to this his tongue has grown big, and now it had to be trimmed," Parrikar said addressing core group of workers in Goa ahead of the State Legislative Assembly polls.
But, Parrikar was quick enough to add, "I sympathise with him (Kejriwal) as he is on sick leave."
Kejriwal underwent surgery on Wednesday at a private hospital in Bengaluru for the persistent cough that has troubled him for over 40 years.
The surgery corrected an anatomical abnormality of his oral-pharyngeal and palatal area, which was causing small amounts of saliva to trickle into his air passages whenever his nose breathing was affected by allergy or other factors, the hospital had said.
The Defence minister took a dig at the AAP leaders for "abandoning" Delhi when the state was reeling under chikungunya and dengue attack killing 40 people.
"If your Mohalla clinics were so much effective then how come 40 people died due to chikungunya. The lies of AAP are getting exposed in Delhi after the incident," he said.
He said the AAP leaders are currently on world tour after cheating the people of Delhi, with its deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in Finland.
"From where does AAP get the money? They spent Rs 26.82 crore merely on advertisement budget," the former Goa CM added.
Referring to sacked Delhi Minister Sandeep Kumar, who was arrested on charges of rape on a complaint of a woman who figured in an objectionable video with him, Parrikar said, "AAP leaders are found exploiting a woman merely to give a ration card."
The woman had alleged that she was raped by Kumar when she had gone to his office in Outer Delhi's Sultanpuri seeking help to obtain a ration card.
Parrikar also quoted a WhatsApp joke making rounds in Delhi circles, which says that Tihar Superintendent has written to Delhi Governor asking to make him the CM as he has
majority of AAP MLAs with him (in jail).
Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, while addressing the workers, said the concept of mohalla clinics introduced by AAP in Goa is "unwarranted" as BJP-led government has already made treatment in the private hospitals and government-run hospitals free of cost by introducing health insurance scheme.
