Panaji: Goa chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Wednesday said some people are born with disabilities due to the “mistake” and “negligence” committed by God.
“There are some brothers and sisters in the society, who are born with certain disabilities. God forgets to give them certain things. That is negligence on the part of God and for that the child has to suffer for entire life,” Parsekar said.
“Therefore, NGOs like Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) have come into existence. The thing which God could not do, they are doing. They are rectifying the mistake committed by God. I would say NGOs’ work is more than that of God,” he added.
The chief minister was speaking at the inauguration of ‘We Care Film Festival’ on disability issues organised by DRAG at Margao town around 35 km from here this morning.
However, after the event, DRAG condemned chief minister’s remarks, stating that the disabled were born to show the power of God.
“CM Parskear, while speaking at the inauguration of ‘We Care Film Festival’ on disability at Chowgule college, Margao has said disabled people are mistake of God and NGOs are doing yeoman service by serving the disabled in rectifying God’s mistake,” DRAG chief Avelino D’Sa said in a statement here.
“DRAG strongly objects to this statement and clarified that if God has created a person disabled it is to show people the power of God. Disabled people have more strength and will power and they are differently-abled, hence they are stronger than the normal people,” he added.
Parsekar’s comments came at a time when his cabinet colleague Ramesh Tawadkar had courted a controversy last week when he said that the state would set up centres to make LGBT people “normal”. The minister had retracted his statement after widespread criticism.