Parrikar’s office calls letter of ‘repentance’ a mischievous hoax

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's office on Sunday said that a letter of repentance and introspection purported to be written by the ailing CM being circulated on social media, particularly WhatsApp, is "not authentic" and "mischievous".

"It has been observed that many messages are floating on social media, attributing it to the CM's authorship. Such messages are not authentic and mischievous. All messages of CM @manoharparrikar will be communicated directly by him or through his verified social media handles only," the CMO said in a statement issued on Sunday.

The letter which appears to be styled after a hoax letter, circulated soon after Apple co-founder Steve Jobs's demise in 2011, went viral on social media over the weekend and has content which is reflective and repentant in nature.

Parrikar was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on February 15 for stomach pain, but later shifted to a New York-based medical facility, where he is being treated for advanced stage of pancreatic cancer. The CMO has maintained that Parrikar is suffering from "mild pancreatitis" and is responding well to treatment.