PANAJI: Former Defence Minister
Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal Monday described as insensitive on NCP chief
Sharad Pawar's remark that the late leader relinquished his post at the Centre and returned to
Goa because he did not agree with the Rafale fighter jet deal.
In a statement issued here, Utpal said the Parrikar family was saddened to read Pawar's remarks.
"This is yet another unfortunate and insensitive attempt to invoke my father's name to push blatant falsehood for political gains," he said.
Addressing reporters in
Kolhapur on Saturday, Pawar had said, "The Rafale deal was not acceptable to Parrikar. He therefore quit as Defence minister and returned to Goa."
Parrikar, who took over as defence minister in November 2014, was sworn in as Goa chief minister on March 14, 2017. He died on March 17 this year after a long battle with a
pancreatic cancer.