Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday suspended party MP Baijayanta Panda from the primary membership of the BJD with immediate effect for his anti-party activities.
BJD vice president Surya Narayan Patro made the announcement regarding this here.
The move comes after inquiry reports by BJD Kendrapara district observer Pramilla Mallick and Cuttack observer Usha Devi, who had been asked to probe Panda’s anti-party activities.
“After the 2014 elections, Panda wanted to become Chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance in the Lok Sabha. He also said that the BJD, being the fourth largest party in Parliament, may not be favoured with the chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Finance. However, if he is nominated, he stated that he would be able to lobby and get it,” Patro said.
Panda is the vice chairman of IMFA and was drawing salary and allowances amounting to Rs 1,45,27,747 a year in 2014. There was also a huge loan running into thousands of crores owed by IMFA (previously ICCL) which was waived and this is still a subject of debate, he pointed out. IMFA is into mining, ferro alloys and power in Orissa and is owned by Panda’s family.
Apprehending serious conflict of interest, which would have compromised the interests of the state vis-a-vis a corporate, the BJD leadership refused to nominate Panda as the chairman of the Standing Committee, he said.
“After this, Panda has been directly and indirectly indulging in activities aimed at weakening the BJD, in Parliament, state, constituency and the media. In fact Panda missed no opportunity to criticise the BJD and help the opposition,” he said, adding, Panda’s claims of being a founder member of the BJD were totally false. Narrating another anti-party action of Panda, the minister said that during the last panchayat elections, instead of campaigning for BJD even in his constituency he supported opposition candidates.
Panda reacted to the decision through his twitter handle. “I am shocked at this news. Very very sad Naveen did not see thru the conspiracy against me. I deny the allegations against me, they are entirely false and baseless.”
State BJP vice-president Sameer Mohanty said the move was aimed at diverting public attention from the Kunduli tragedy.
PNN
