Panaji, May 4 (IANS): Even as the Bombay High Court bench in Goa continues to hear the constitutional validity of the lifetime cabinet status bestowed on former Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane by the BJP-led coalition government, Congress in-charge of Goa Dinesh Gundu Rao on Wednesday urged the veteran leader to "gracefully" reject the position.

Rao on Wednesday tweeted saying accepting such a position would "set a bad precedent" politically.

"For a man of Shri Pratapsing Rane's stature, he should gracefully reject this #Cabinetstatus conferred. Neither does he require it nor will it enhance his status. It sets a bad precedent & I'm sure it's not permissible as per law. So why suffer the humiliation of a #HC order," Rao tweeted.

Rane is one of the tallest Congress leaders in the state and has served as chief minister on several occasions spread over 15 years. His only son, Vishwajit, incidentally is a Health Minister in the current BJP-led coalition government.

Incidentally, Rane was supposed to contest the February 14 (2022) Assembly polls, but withdrew from the fray following a public rebuke by his son. The BJP had later promised to offer Rane with a lifetime cabinet status and a notification to the effect was issued in April this year.

A city lawyer Aires Rodrigues has challenged the Goa government's decision to allot lifetime status to Rane in the Bombay High Court. Rane, who is one of the respondents in the case, said that it was up to the Court to decide on the legality of the position.