Chief Minister of Goa and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manohar Parrikar passed away at the age of 63 in Goa. According to reports, he passed away at his private residence.
"Extremely sorry to hear of the passing of Shri Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister of Goa, after an illness borne with fortitude and dignity. An epitome of integrity and dedication in public life, his service to the people of Goa and of India will not be forgotten," tweeted President of India Ram Nath Kovind.
Extremely sorry to hear of the passing of Shri Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister of Goa, after an illness borne with fortitude and dignity. An epitome of integrity and dedication in public life, his service to the people of Goa and of India will not be forgotten #PresidentKovind
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 17, 2019
A condolence meeting will be held in the Union Cabinet at 11 am on Monday.
Parrikar was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in February last year and has been in and out of hospitals, in Goa, Mumbai, Delhi and New York since. Parrikar suffered from pancreatic cancer for months, which was confirmed to the press in October 2018 by Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane. Parrikar was flown to the US for treatment thrice in 2017 -- once for three months, and two subsequent follow-ups.
The 62-year-old Parrikar started out as a Rashtriya Swayamsevak pracharak in Mapusa town, Goa where he was born. Having graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Parrikar was first elected to the Goa Legislative Assembly as a BJP member in 1994, and went on to become the Chief Minister of Goa for the first time in October 2000. He went on to serve as the Chief Minister of Goa two more times -- in 2012 and 2017. He also served as India’s Minister of Defence between 2014 and 2017.
In January 2018, a frail Parrikar presented the Goa Budget, with a tube in his nose. He also inaugurated the Atal Setu bridge in Goa in the same month, where he drew a huge round of applause after he said "How's the josh", soon after the release of the Bollywood movie Uri.
Parrikar is survived by his two sons, Utpal and Abhijat.