BHUBANESWAR: Expelled BJD MLA Pradeep Panigrahy said the party took action against him simply because he dared to raise his voice against the government’s alleged Covid mismanagement in Ganjam, which happens to be chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s home district.
While the party expelled Panigrahy on charges of anti-people activities, he and his wife Sujata sought clarification about the exact nature of the anti-people allegations against him. Denying the charges, Panigrahy labelled the action as “political vendetta”.
“I had written a series of letters to the chief minister as well as other senior government officers on the Covid mismanagement and the issue of migrant workers in Ganjam. Recently, I spoke directly with Naveen over phone after my attempts to arrange for an ambulance for the father of a BJD MLA of Ganjam district remained futile. Though he promptly intervened and resolved the issue, some leaders, who have been calling the shots in the party, were aggrieved with me,” Panigrahy told media persons at his quarters here.
Panigrahy further said after his telephonic interaction with Naveen, two prominent BJD leaders met him at his house here and expressed their displeasure with him for raising the Covid-19 mismanagement issue. “They indirectly threatened me of action and inquired about my daughter’s marriage. I could make out that they wanted to sabotage her wedding. It was an act of vendetta against me. I had told them that I would resign from the party if the party did not want me any more,” he added.
It must be noted that Panigrahy’s daughter is set to marry Akash Pathak, son of the Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Abhay Kant Pathak. The vigilance sleuths arrested Abhay Kant and Akash on Friday on charges of amassing ill-gotten properties. Panigrahy is accused of showing political patronage to the Pathaks and availing of undue benefits, including air travels in chartered flights.
“I know the government can raid my house any time and frame me in the vigilance or any other false case. I am ready to face any fair probe. I am not scared,” Panigrahy, who gave a clean chit to Abhay Kant and his son Akash, said.
Panigrahy, a three-time MLA and former minister, was once a close aide of Naveen and assigned to look after the party affairs in Hinjili, the assembly constituency of Naveen, after the 2004 election.
(With inputs from Sujit Bisoyi and Hrusikesh Mohanty)