Goa CM Manohar Parrikar takes charge day after returning from US

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar resumed work on Friday, a day after returning to India from the United States. For the last three months, the 62-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was undergoing treatment in the US for an ailment.

Before resuming charge, the Goa CM visited the Mahalaxmi Temple in Panaji and offered prayers.

A visibly weak Parrikar arrived in Mumbai on Thursday evening from where he took a flight to Goa. Accompanied by members of his family, a medical team and officials of the Chief Minister’s Office, Parrikar was welcomed by Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and Director General of Police Muktesh Chander at the Dabolim International Airport.

Parrikar, who was wearing a light blue shirt, briefly waved at the waiting mediapersons on the way to his private residence in Panaji.

On Friday, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal expressed his good wishes for the Goa CM.

“@manoharparrikar Welcome back Sir. God bless u with a long and healthy life,” he wrote on Twitter.

.@manoharparrikar Welcome back Sir. God bless u with a long and healthy life

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 15, 2018

Union ministers Rajyavardhan Rathore and Giriraj Singh were among those who posted welcome messages on Twitter.

“Glad to know that @manoharparrikar ji is back to take charge. I wish him good health and quick recovery. He has been the driving force for modernisation of armed forces when he was the defence minister and for the development of Goa,” wrote Rathore, a former army officer who is currently the MoS I&B and MoS Sports.

Glad to know that @manoharparrikar ji is back to take charge. I wish him good health and quick recovery. He has been the driving force for modernisation of armed forces when he was the defence minister and for the development of Goa.

— Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) June 14, 2018

Parrikar was shifted to the US in March this year, after being diagnosed for a pancreatic ailment. He was first admitted to the Lilawati Hospital in Mumbai in February, after he complained of stomach pain.

Before leaving for treatment, Parrikar had formed a three-member cabinet advisory committee comprising one member each from the parties in alliance to guide the state administration on governance and other issues.

Regular updates on Parrikar’s health had been coming ever since he left. Many opposition leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, had wished him speedy recovery.

In April, the Goa Crime Branch had arrested a 35-year-old man for spreading fake news surrounding Parrikar’s health.

He was accused of posting fake news on Facebook in which he claimed that “Parrikar is no more”. He later admitted his mistake after a flood of commentators drew attention to his folly.