In a public statement released on Saturday, late Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s sons, Utpal and Abhijat, have said that they will honour their father by continuing his legacy of service and dedication to the State and the nation.

The Chief Minister’s Office released a joint letter written by Parrikar’s sons, which later went viral on social media. “It is said, the legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.We will honour his life by continuing his legacy of service and dedication to the State and the nation,” it read.

The letter, inter alia, said, “Our father lived every day with vigour, a strong will and desire to serve the nation and the State. Till the very last he was occupied with issues concerning the State. While we have lost a central part of our family and the void created is huge, the sheer number of people, messages, and letters we have received has made us feel we are a part of a much bigger family that he left behind.”

Acknowledging that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers were much closer to their father, the letter said, “We express our gratitude to the thousands of karyakartas for their love. You have been his pillars of strength throughout. We always knew that you and the people of Goa meant much more to him than even us and this bond was evident when he passed away.”

On Friday, Mr. Utpal, who some BJP national leaders have already advised to work for the party, in his first interaction with the media, said that he would take a call on joining politics in due time, according to Goa BJP president Vinay Tendulkar.