BJP slams government for adjourning House over Yes Bank crisis

BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Saturday criticised the state government for suspending the budget session of Odisha Legislative Assembly midway to escape the attack of Opposition over Srimandir funds deposit in crisis-hit Yes Bank.

“It is not possible for the government to get away from the Yes Bank scandal so easily. The BJP will rest till the people involved in the mismanagement of the shrine’s funds are taken to task,” Leader of Opposition Pradipta Naik told a media conference here.

Dubbing the adjournment of the Assembly under the plea of coronavirus outbreak is calculated move of the ruling BJD to save its face, Naik said the government knew fully well that it cannot get back the Srimandir deposit from Yes Bank on March 19 as promised. The coronavirus scare is a just a plea to save the government from further embarrassment. Nothing will stop the Opposition from unearthing the truth, he said.

With not single positive case of coronavirus in the State, the situation is quite normal. There is nothing to be scared as Assembly is out of bounds for outsiders. The suspension of the ongoing session exposed escapist attitude of the government, said BJP chief whip Mohan Majhi. He said the Parliament session is on despite the fact that many people are coming from abroad to the national capital. Besides, Assemblies of many states, including Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Telangana, Punjab and Rajasthan, are in session, he added.

“We condemned unequivocally the government’s decision to suspend the House and urge upon the Assembly Speaker to reconvene the session as per the schedule,” Majhi said. 

What is unfortunate is that demand for grants of all departments will be passed in guillotine without any debate. The government is setting a bad tradition in the Parliamentary democracy, he added.

Deputy leader of BJP in the OLA Bishnu Sethi said the BJD is afflicted by the deadly virus after the government’s misdeeds in the Srimandir affairs were exposed. By adjourning the Assembly, the government is triggering unnecessary panic among people, he added.

Reiterating his demand for a White Paper by the government on its deposits in Yes Bank, Sethi said his party will take the issue to the people if its demand is not met.