Political leadership can't be denied credit for surgical strikes: Parrikar
Panaji, June 28 : Goa Chief Minister and former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday said the existing political leadership which took the "strong decision" to go ahead with the the 2016 surgical strikes across the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, cannot be denied credit.
Parrikar, who held the Defence portfolio when the surgical strikes took place on September 29, 2016, said footage which has been broadcast by national news channels was only a fraction of the actual evidence of the strikes.
"Ultimately, the exercise has been carried out by armed forces and the credit goes to the armed forces. But you cannot deny credit to the political leadership which took the strong decision," Parrikar told a channel at the State Secretariat on Thursday.
"It was an extensive operation which was carried out after extensive planning and preparation. It could only happen, I think, because the leadership of the Prime Minister was very crucial... The Prime Minister supported the decision right from day one.
"For me, while taking a decision, of course the Prime Minister's support was there, was also if this escalates... If this goes out beyond the intended limited operation and if there is retaliation, then what? We had to prepare ourselves for any eventuality. Our planning does not only talk about the small operation, but detailing about complete fall-out in case something goes wrong. That was the important part for me," he added.
When asked if the Congress should apologise for being critical of the operation and questioning its very veracity, Parrikar said: "I think they should realise their mistake. I don't know whether apology is the right word for it. But they should henceforth, in matters which concern national interest and the armed forces, should be very careful while commenting."
The Chief Minister also said that scoring political brownie points over the surgical strikes was "demeaning" to the armed forces.
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DJ Black Coffee's event in Goa cancelled after NOC revoked on Good Friday
Panaji (PTI): The Goa leg of Grammy-winning South African DJ Black Coffee's India tour was cancelled at the last minute on Friday evening after authorities revoked the event's No Objection Certificate (NOC), a move intended to honour the solemnity of Good Friday.
Officials on Saturday cited the need to respect local sentiments and the religious significance of the day as the primary reason for withdrawing the permission previously granted to host the "Sunset-to-Night" event.
The opposition Congress demanded a probe by the Economic Offences Cell of the state against the organisers.
The revocation of permission by the Communidade of Anjuna, in whose land the event was scheduled to be hosted, followed an objection by locals and the Congress, citing the solemn occasion of Good Friday and the upcoming Easter Sunday.
Local police officials confirmed that the organisers of "Sunset to Night" have cancelled the event, leaving many revellers disappointed.
Sebastian D'Souza, an attorney of Communidade of Anjuna, in a letter addressed to organisers, stated that the NOC granted to them on March 4, 2026, to host the musical event on April 3 in survey number 206/1 of Anjuna village has been unanimously revoked by the managing committee.
D'Souza stated that the date coincides with Holy Week, particularly Good Friday.
"This has been decided in the interest of residents of Anjuna, Vagator and Chapora," the letter reads.
The Comunidade of Anjuna is a traditional, collective land-holding institution in North Goa, part of the twelve comunidades of Bardez.
A huge crowd assembled outside the venue of the programme on Friday night as the word spread about the cancellation.
Several netizens posted reels on social media claiming they were informed about the cancellation at the last minute.
Earlier, the Congress had objected to hosting such an event on the sacred occasion of Good Friday, calling it "deeply insensitive and unacceptable."
"Your event, @Paradoxindia_, in Goa on the sacred occasion of Good Friday is deeply insensitive and unacceptable. @RealBlackCoffee , this is not just about music- it is about respecting faith. By going ahead with a techno show on a day of mourning for Christians, you have hurt religious sentiments not just in Goa, but across the world," Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Amit Patkar had written on X.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Patkar said that the state Congress would file a complaint with the Economic Offences Cell (EOC) against the organisers for allegedly selling tickets online without obtaining necessary permissions from authorities such as the Goa Pollution Control Board and the Fire and Emergency Services.
The event organisers could not be contacted immediately for their comment on the Congress leader's claim.
While at least 3,000 people had arrived in Goa to attend the event, the access road to the venue was not wide enough for Fire and Emergency Services vehicles to reach, Patkar claimed.
