Panaji, May 29: The Congress's Goa unit on Tuesday said that it will petition President Ram Nath Kovind to appoint a "full-fledged Chief Minister" in the absence of Manohar Parrikar, who is in the US for treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Congress legislative party, state Congress President Girish Chodankar said that law and order and the state administration had come to a standstill in the absence of a fully functional Chief Minister.

He said Parrikar had completed a "century" of days he has been absent from Goa.

"We have repeatedly petitioned the government and the Governor that Goa needs a functioning Chief Minister. There has been no response. We have no option now but to meet the President of India and brief him about the unconstitutionality of the Goa government without the CM," Chodankar told reporters here.

"Parrikar has completed a century as far as his absenteeism is concerned. And now the ruling BJP has the audacity to tell us that a state is functioning well without the Chief Minister. Even when a regular government officer goes on leave, he delegates his charge to another officer. Parrikar should have delegated responsibility before leaving for treatment," the Congress leader said.

Before leaving for the US, Parrikar appointed a Cabinet Advisory Committee comprising of three ministers, which the Congress claimed is "unconstitutional".

 

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Etawah (UP), Sep 16: BJP's Etawah MLA Sarita Bhadauriya fell onto the railway tracks while vying to wave the green flag for the Agra-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express here on Monday.

Purported videos of the incident surfaced on social media.

The incident occurred amidst a crowded platform as the train arrived around 6 pm. The 61-year-old second-term BJP lawmaker was among a host of people holding the green flag as they stood at the platform, the video showed.

Following the virtual inauguration of the Vande Bharat train by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the train, numbered 20175, was flagged off by the Rail Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu from Agra.

When contacted by PTI, BJP's Etawah unit treasurer Sanjeev Bhadauriya said, "The MLA was helped off the track and she then waited for some time at the platform for the flag-off event."

"Later she consulted doctors and is resting at her home now. She did not suffer any visible physical injuries. If there is any internal injury, it is yet to be confirmed," Bhadauriya said.

The train made stops at Tundla before arriving at Etawah station. Upon its arrival, a commotion ensued on the platform as various political figures, including Samajwadi Party MP Jitendra Douwhare, former BJP MP Ram Shankar, and current MLA Sarita Bhadauriya, gathered to participate in the flag-off, the videos showed.

As the train's horn signalled its departure, the platform became chaotic with supporters jostling for position. In the ensuing melee, the MLA was pushed off the platform and she fell onto the railway tracks in front of the train, it showed.

The train was stopped in time by bystanders, preventing a major accident. Bhadauriya was quickly rescued from the tracks by the police and taken to the hospital, according to eyewitnesses.

Talking about the operation date for the Vande Bharat Express, PRO Prashasti Srivastava from the Agra division of the railways said that the date will be announced soon.

The train will cover the distance between Agra and Varanasi in approximately seven hours. The return train will operate as number 20176 from Varanasi to Agra, while the Agra-Varanasi service will be number 20175.