Goa Govt uses Steve Jobs argument to bat for ailing Manohar Parrikar in Court
State Advocate General Dattaprasad Lawande said the petition seeking bulletin of the Chief Minister’s health was not in good faith as it intends to affect his fundamental rights and the Right to Privacy.
Panaji Dec 13, 2018 : The Goa government has told the Bombay High Court that mere diagnosis of cancer does not mean that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was not fit to handle the state administration, and cited Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ accomplishments to drive home its point.
State Advocate General Dattaprasad Lawande Wednesday told a division bench of Justices RM Borde and Prithviraj Chavan that the petition seeking bulletin of the Chief Minister’s health was not in good faith as it intends to affect his fundamental rights and the right to his privacy.
In his petition filed earlier this month, petitioner Trajano D’Mello had sought directions to state Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma to evaluate the health condition of Parrikar by forming a panel of expert doctors and release the report in public domain.
The state government arguing the same stated in its submission “Steve Jobs was diagnosed with the same pancreatic cancer. In fact, much of his accomplishments came after his diagnosis”. “Just the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is not enough to ask the chief minister to resign from office,” it added. Steve Jobs died in 2011 after battling pancreatic cancer.
The state also informed the high court that the chief minister has been regularly holding meetings with his cabinet colleagues and senior officials and monitoring the administration.
Parrikar has been ailing since mid-February. He has been treated at different hospitals including those in Goa, Mumbai and the US. He is currently undergoing treatment at his residence.
