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Goa Government Denies to reveal the Health status of Chief Minister saying it is against the right to privacy

Citing it as a breach of privacy, the Goa government has denied to publicly disclose the health status of Chief Minister. The Chief Secretary on
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Citing it as a breach of privacy, the Goa government has denied to publicly disclose the health status of Chief Minister. The Chief Secretary on Saturday filed an affidavit stating that on accepting the demand of disclosing the health status of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar would amount to breaching his privacy as an individual. The affidavit was filed in response to the petition filed by Mr. Trajano D’Mello claiming that Goa is facing a leadership crisis due to Parrikar’s ill health. The matter now will be heard on 10th December, said the sources.   

Manohar Parrikar suffers from pancreatic cancer. The issue has become the talk of the town and everyone wants to know the health status of their CM, but the government is maintaining very tight security regarding the health matter of Parrikar. The reason behind which, is not known and is cited as a matter of privacy. 

The former Goa Forward Member, Trajano D’Mello had filed the PIL (Public Interest Litigation) in the High Court seeking the health status of the Chief Minister. The beach comprising of two judges have asked the state to submit an affidavit stating the health status of CM.

Goa’s CM was admitted of AIIMS and was critical. He was discharged on Sunday, 14th October. He was flown on a special charter plane and was taken to his residence in Dona Paula in an ambulance. According to the sources of AIIMS, He was shifted to the ICU but his health continued to deteriorate. The administration later decided to discharge him.

The Image of Parrikar conducting the meeting released by BJP CMO office.

Goa’s CM who was brought to Goa on a special charter plane after the doctors at AIMS Delhi gave up on the treatment was shifted to his private residence from that day onwards no one had seen CM again.

According to the reports published by India Express the Goa government had sought the fundamental right to privacy, the Goa government has asked the High Court of Bombay at Goa to dismiss the petition filed by a local activist urging the government to put in the public domain the health status of Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar.

The Chief Secretary, Mr. Dharmendra Singh had stated that if the health status of the CM is made public now on the petitioners demand then it will set a dangerous precedent wherein everyone and anyone will seek the medical records of the people occupying high offices making the use of the masquerade of ‘public interest’.

Citing the rights to privacy of a person the Chief Secretary also submitted that CM is also like any other person and has a right to not to disclose his health status. “Like any other person who may not occupy public office has a right to not disclose his health problems to the public. If a person is directed to disclose his health ailments to the public merely because he happens to be the CM, the same would be the violation of Right to Privacy under Article 21,” it stated. 

Meanwhile replying to Mr. D’Mello’s affidavit in PIL the state government has argued saying that the present petition is absolutely lacking in good faith and also called it ‘unmaintainable’ for public interest litigation. Furthermore, the petitioner’s claim of “administrative collapse” is absolutely unsubstantiated, vague and is entirely based on hearsay which cannot be the basis of a PIL.

In reality, the affidavit filed by Mr. D’Mello in the PIL states that despite physically incapacitated and bed-ridden in the ICU, Parrikar has breached constitutional trust by virtue to remain as CM despite the fact that he is physically and mentally incapable of discharging his constitutional obligations, which is the fact and very much visible to everyone.

The above makes it clear that the Government is in no mood to make the status of the health of CM public at least at this point of time and the people of Goa may have to wait little more to know how their CM is doing. What are your views on this issue? Why do you think the government is defensive about the issue of making the health status of the CM public? What is the major reason behind maintaining such a high amount of privacy on the health of the public representative who is also the CM of Goa??      

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