Panaji, Jan 16 (IANS): In what could be construed as a dig at the Naga penchant for dog-meat, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said during S.C. Jamir's term Goa Governor there was not a single stray dog on the Panaji streets.

Parrikar also called Jamir, a veteran Congress leader from Nagaland, a "mercenary" who was appointed as Goa governor to bring down the BJP-led coalition government in 2005, which at the time was led by him.

"Jamir came from Nagaland and was given the target of dismantling the government. The only advantage we got as a result of this was not a single stray dog in Panaji," Parrikar told a poll meet in South Goa's Canacona legislative assembly constituency.

Parrikar was appointed as Goa Chief Minister in 2000 and his first stint as Chief Minister ended in 2002.

He won the subsequent elections to the state legislative assembly again in 2002 and relinquished office in 2005, when Jamir was Governor.