Samata Kranti Dal chief and former Union Minister Braja Kishore Tripathy on Tuesday claimed that the BJD has Maoist links and it has been using the ultras for its political and electoral gains. Tripathy claimed that the BJD had transferred Rs 45 lakh from its bank account to the personal bank account of Odisha Maobadi Party chief Sabyasachi Panda.
“I am in possession of documents that an amount of Rs 45 lakh was transferred from the BJD account no. 10091755246 to Sabyasachi Panda’s ICICI Bank Chhatrapur branch account no. 203601501728 through cheque no. 441630,” alleged Tripathy while talking to reporters in New Delhi.
“How come money has been transferred from the BJD party’s bank account to that of Sabyasachi Panda who is known for his extremist views and is now in jailIJ The party’s bank account operates in the name of the Chief Minister, who is the BJD president. This clearly indicates that the Chief Minister has patronised Maoists. The Chief Minister has utilised Maoists for his party’s electoral and political gains,” Tripathy said.
He said he has written to the Prime Minister to order an inquiry into the matter.
On the other hand, the BJD refuted the charges calling them as baseless and unrealistic.
“The BJD has been trying to bring Maoists into the mainstream. The BJD has taken up several programmes in Maoist-infested areas. These allegations are baseless and unrealistic. I can firmly say that the BJD has no Maoist links,” said BJD spokesperson Amar Prasad Satpathy in his reactions to Tripathy’s allegations.