Bhubaneswar: The tirade against BJP’s Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) continued Saturday as the regional party came up with the accusation of distribution of cash by Panda’s associates.
In a series of memorandums submitted to the CEO, the BJD tried to attack the team working with his media house and others associated with it and alleged that many of them are now dispersed in different parts of the constituency and are distributing money to the voters and attempting to affect a fair election.
In a memorandum submitted to the CEO, the regional party said, “This is to inform you that we have learnt about a shocking reality. About 10-12 television channel teams have been deployed by the company (owned by family members of Panda) in Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency who are presently distributing cash to influence and misguide voters.”
The BJD also demanded eviction of the TV crew from the area and urged for a video and mobile surveillance on them. “If they are allowed to continue in the constituency areas, this will be a travesty of the election rules and model code of conduct. We demand immediate action against these 10-12 TV channel teams operating in Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency urgently.”
The BJD also complained to the CEO that four associates of Panda have been allegedly found distributing cash to the voters and desecrating the electoral
sanctity there.
“They are operating primarily from their office situated at Baula Vihar in Kendrapara. We demand placing their mobile phones under surveillance, placing them under video surveillance and their removal from the constituency.”
The BJD did not stop there. It has also claimed that Panda might create violence in Kendrapara Sunday to disrupt elections and demanded appropriate action by the electoral authorities.
It said, “This is to bring to your kind attention that we fear that either tonight or tomorrow BJP leader and MP candidate Baijayant Panda might create violence in Kendrapara constituency with an intention to create an environment of fear before the
polling April 29.”
Systemic Harassment
The growing tendency of different state police forces to cross jurisdictional boundaries in order to arrest individuals for their opinions...
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