“Manohar Parrikar is a person who builds bridges, called Atal Setu” Mr Sardesai

PANAJI: Goa Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai today quoted the Bible to liken ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to none other than Jesus Christ over his penchant for “building bridges”.

“In the Bible, there is a quote saying that man should build bridges, not walls. Jesus built bridges, not walls. You need to build bridges. Manohar Parrikar is a person who builds bridges,” Mr Sardesai said during a congratulatory motion moved by BJP legislator Rajesh Patnekar in the state assembly. He was referring to the Manohar Parrikar-led government’s successful completion of a new cable-stayed bridge called Atal Setu, inaugurated on January 27.

Mr Sardesai, however, did not cite the exact Biblical verse from which he had drawn the quote.

The legislator then went on to say that Mr Parrikar builds metaphorical bridges too, in terms of connections with people and organisations. “Besides technological marvels, Manohar Parrikar builds bridges with people who are positive,” he claimed.

The 63-year-old BJP politician is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, for which he will be flown to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences this evening for a regular health check-up. “He is expected to remain there for the next four days,” a senior official in the Chief Minister’s Office said.

Yesterday, Mr Parrikar had presented the budget in the house with a tube inserted through his nose. “I am presenting the budget in josh. The josh that is too high, very high, and fully in hosh,” he had said then.

The Congress, however, was not convinced. “During his seven-minute speech, Parrikar used words like josh and hosh. However, it is clear from Parrikar’s body language and the kind of budget he tabled that he has neither,” said party spokesperson Ramakant Khalap, urging him to give away key portfolios such as finance, home and planning to his colleagues.