Panaji, Nov 27 (IANS): A Congress MP justified throwing away a bouquet given to him during a function Sunday claiming that Rs.85 lakh fund he allotted to the hosts merited a bigger floral offering.

Speaking to IANS Tuesday, F Sardinha said that he was right in expressing disappointment over the size of the bouquet which he was offered by the officials of the municipal corporation of Mormugao, a port town 35 km from Panaji.

"I gave them Rs.85 lakh for their project. The least they could have given me was a decent-sized bouquet. Instead, they gave me this small thing," Sardinha said, making a face while gesticulating about the size of the floral bunch.

Sardinha had sanctioned the grant from his Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund for setting up 14 CCTV cameras as part of a surveillance programme. The objective was to help crime detection, keep check on harassment and ease traffic movement in the Mormugao area.

The MP said that he had even told the organisers that he would get his own bouquet the next time. "All they have to do is give it back to me," Sardinha said.

Sardinha's flinging of the bouquet and calling it "cheap" was also criticized by Right to Information (RTI) activists here.

"Flowers and bouquets just represents love, affection and respect. Expenses on such items or size of such items should never be correlated to the amount of project or any other thing," the RTI forum said in its statement issued here.

The forum has also asked Sardinha to offer his apology to the organisers of the event.