From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Feb 17: Goa’s Rajya Sabha member Shantaram Naik today lodged a verbal protest with the defence ministry over the Navy's alleged callous attitude of keeping the state in dark over its MiG plane trials off the state's coast.

Naik today said that he called up Binoy Kumar, joint secretary to protest against the Indian navy’s act of not informing the state government about the exercises.

“Kumar responding to my call told me that Indian Navy ought to have informed the chief secretary of Goa about the naval exercises of MiG aircraft,” Naik told PTI over phone from Delhi.

Goa witnessed six mysterious blasts – on February 11 in south district and February 16 in North District – which had forced the state police machinery and state administration to execute intense operation to pin point the cause of the blasts.

“When media reported about the blasts, the chief minister, chief secretary and police were frantically trying to find out about the mysterious blasts,” Naik said.

“How could navy maintain silence on such incident,” he questioned.

The MP termed Navy’s act as `an insult to the state and mockery of the people who were working overtime to find out the exact cause of the loud sound heard from mid air.’

Naik said that the joint secretary was in full agreement of the view points expressed by Goa and said that he will take up the issue with naval authorities and convey to them that they ought to have informed state chief secretary before holding such exercises.

Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat on Tuesday had clarified that the blasts were the results of the Indian navy’s training off Goa coast in the run up for the induction of MiG aircrafts.

Kamat had quoted naval officers informing the chief secretary stating that there was no need to panic. The state government had urged the naval authorities to conduct such exercises deep inside the sea and not next to the shore.