FORMER minister of national security Fitzgerald Hinds has criticised the Government’s decision to forgo this year’s Independence Day Parade, calling it “callous, unpatriotic spasms”.

On Friday, the Government announced the cancellation of both the Independence Day celebration and fireworks display, citing national security concerns. In a post to his Facebook account yesterday, Hinds lambasted the United National Congress administration and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on the decision.

He accused the Prime Minister of making a career of not attending national events, “especially when she and her delinquents are not in government”. He added that it comes as no surprise “that she has so casually casted (sic) our premier national celebration, the TTDF-run Independence Day Parade, to the waste basket”.