At a time when there is a persistent demand from different quarters that Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma be ousted from the Ministry for his alleged involvement in the Artha Tatwa chit fund scam, retired High Court Judge MM Das, who is heading the chit fund scam probe panel, invited criticism after attending a birth anniversary programme of Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das on Thursday.
While Das was the chief guest at the event organised by the BJD lawyers’ Forum, law Minister Arun Sahu was the guest of honour. The programme was attended by Barabati-Cuttack MlA Debasis Samantaray and several other BJD leaders. Slamming Das for attending the programme, BJP MlA Pradeep Purohit said, “It is unfortunate that the retired judge, who is heading the commission for an impartial probe into the chit fund scam, attended meeting. Since the event was organised by a political party, we demand that he should not continue as the head of the commission investigating the multi-thousand-crore chit fund scam.” He apprehended that the investors would lose faith in the Government, which has assured an unbiased investigation. The Congress also joined chorus against Justice Das. “I am not in favour of a Judicial Commission attending the function of a political party. In my opinion, he should not have attended the programme,” Narasingha Mishra stated.
A cornered BJD, however, tried to wash its hands off the issue, saying it was not a party event as alleged. “Since he is a retired judge, I have nothing to say on his decision about attending a programme. I should not interfere in his meetings and schedules. Besides, the lawyers’ outfit is not a political institution; it provides legal aid to the poor and underprivileged…It is not a wing of the BJD,” BJD spokesperson Ananta Das said. Justice MM Das maintained, “I attended the programme as a retired judge, not as a commission head. What I have stated at the meeting is my personal opinion and the Government has nothing to do with it. I know my job very well.”