Bhubaneswar: A day after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik received complaints against him, senior BJD leader Damodar Rout today claimed he never uttered a word against Patnaik and targeted only corrupt officers.
Rout’s clarification came after Patnaik, also BJD president, Tuesday said he was “examining” allegations against the Paradip MLA, who is embroiled in a controversy after raising back-to-back three alleged scams to the embarrassment of the ruling BJD as well as the state government.
“I have not said anything against the chief minister.
All along I have high impression on our chief minister. The CM has a lot of exposure as he toured world wide. He is a good writer and his book has been a best seller. He is also a painter of international repute. He is not part of the allegations which I have made,” Rout told reporters.
“Some subordinate people working under the chief minister are guilty. They are indulged in such activities. Nobody is bringing it to public out of fear. I have tried it,” the former minister claimed while referring to alleged corruption he had mentioned.
The seven-time MLA further claimed that he as a minister had suspended some officers on corruption charges. “But, those officers were reinstated and I was thrown out of the ministry,” Rout said.
Rout said “it was the duty of the opposition parties to expose the wrong doings in the government. But, they had not been able to do so. “Is it wrong to expose corruption,” he said.
Rout’s statement came amid demand of action against him on allegation of anti-party activities made by the party’s Jagatsinghpur district president Bishnu Das and Balikuda-Ersama MLA Prashant Muduli.
Meanwhile, a large number of BJD workers met Patnaik at his residence here and petitioned against Rout seeking disciplinary action against him. He was also accused of making anti-party statements and hobnobbing with Congress and BJP leaders in Jagatsinghpur district.
