Panaji: The Aam Aadmi Party in Goa today demanded an apology from the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and others for “blatantly unethical misuse of public money” during the BJP’s national executive meeting here in 2013.
Citing information obtained under RTI Act, AAP said that protocol department of BJP-led government in the state spent about Rs 7 lakh to host a private dinner for BJP delegates during the meeting.
“(The then) Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar used public money to host a private dinner for BJP delegates,” AAP spokesperson Valmiki Naik said.
Parrikar, the present Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar as well as Rajnath Singh, who was then BJP president, should apologise to people of Goa for this “blatantly unethical misuse of public money” and return the amount, he said.
However, Goa BJP leader Dr Wilfred Mesquita said as per the established norm, when Chief Ministers and ministers of other states are being hosted in the state, the protocol department foots the bill, so there was nothing inappropriate in state government paying for the dinner in question.
AAP also sought a vigilance department investigation into all the spending by the state government during the BJP national executive in June 2013.
The BJP had earlier also faced the flak for issuing front page advertisements in local newspapers at the cost of the public exchequer to welcome its national leaders in Goa during the executive meeting.