Opposition parties on Friday reinforced their demand for removal of Tourism Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi from his post on the issue of taking two women friends with him on an official visit to Hyderabad.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha had to make a statement on the floor of the House in this connection where he denied the government footing the bills of the female guests.
BJP Legislature Party Deputy Leader Bishnu Sethi at a Press conference slammed the State Government for giving a “clean chit” to the Minister.
“We have documentary evidence that flight tickets and hotel bookings were made for three persons. While a Minister gave a statement that there are no allegations against the Tourism Minister, we have recorded evidence that the Tourism Department has booked tickets for the Minister and his two female friends. As the Tourism Minister has done anti-Constitutional act, he must tender resignation,” Sethi said.
The Congress also demanded a reply from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the alleged attempt to ‘hush up’ the issue.
Congress State media wing chief Satya Prakash Nayak alleged, “Naveen Patnaik chose a tainted member to reply on the issue. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha had been embroiled in the Discretionary Quota (DQ) controversy after which he had to surrender a house in his wife’s name. He made a statement in the Assembly on the Panigrahi issue, but it was incomplete.”
Nayak said Minister Panigrahi’s itinerary reveals that the hotel bookings at Taj Krishna in Hyderabad were done by a private entity, FICCI. “Can the Chief Minister clarify why the Minister has availed hospitality from a private entity? What is the quid pro quo the Minister must clarify.”
Notably, Panigrahi had on Thursday said, “Not a single penny has been spent from Government exchequer (for his women friends). The OTDC is open to all for (hotel) booking. I haven’t violated any law.”
The Minister had gone to Hyderabad on September 4 to take part in a road show there organised by the Odisha Tourism.
