Ganjam district’s Gopalpur MLA and former Higher Education Minister Pradeep Panigrahi was on Sunday expelled from the primary membership of the Biju Janata Dal (BDJ) for his “anti-people activities”.
By the order of BJD president Naveen Patnaik, the legislator was sacked from the ruling party with immediate effect.
The action against Panigrahi was obviously taken after his alleged association with tainted arrested IFS officer Abhay Kant Pathak and his son Akash Kumar Pathak and involvement in Akash’s job fraud came to the fore in media.
Panigrahi landed in trouble after the Tata Motors Limited (TML) recently lodged a complaint with the State Crime Branch police against Akash Pathak accusing him of committing cheating, forgery and impersonating as the managing director of the company.
The company in its FIR mentioned that Akash had taken huge amounts of money fraudulently from unemployed youths alluring them of providing jobs in the Tata Motors. Akash projected himself as the MD of Tata Motor Pune Passenger Division and CEO-designate.
Interestingly, Panigrahi, in his reaction at a Press conference, advocated in favour of Abhay and Akash stating that the father-son duo is quite honest and are being framed with ulterior motive. His spirited defence of Abhay and Akash appeared to have justified his expulsion from the BJD.
Panigrahi, who admitted that his daughter was scheduled to marry Akash Pathak on December 11, denied his involvement in any corruption, particularly in Ganjam, where he was the Chief Minister’s representative in the CM’s Hinjili constituency.
BJD State secretary Subash Maharana, Brahmapur MP Chandra Sekhar Sahu, former MLA Dr Ramesh Chandra Chyau Pattnaik and several other leaders and intellectuals of Berhampur justified Naveen Patnaik’s action against Panigrahi.
Senior Ganjam BJP leader Kanhu Charan Pati and BJP district president Bibhuti Jena strongly demanded immediate arrest of Panigrahi in public interest.
