State Election Commissioner (SEC) Ajit Kumar Tripathy visited Bargarh on Wednesday for an in depth and on-the- spot inquiry into the controversial speech of Finance Minister Prasanna Acharya during the municipality elections last month.
It was alleged that Acharya, in the meeting at Station Para in Ward No 19, had warned the voters of not allotting funds for the development of the area being the Finance Minister, if the people of Bargarh did not vote for his party BJD. The Opposition had objected to Acharya’s statement and moved the SEC seeking action against the Minister as his speech amounted to violation of model code of conduct.
Though from the very beginning, Acharya had been denying the allegation of making such a statement, he later mellowed, saying, “Whatever I told, I told to my party men in a workers’ meet. It was not an election meeting.” But the versions of the Opposition political parties, including BJP and Congress, were different and they even questioned the very impartiality of the SEC in not being able to take action against Acharya.
To get a clear picture on the matter before drawing any conclusion, Tripathy made a spot enquiry. He also met the people of Station Para who were present in the meeting that day. He met the representatives of the political parties and the media persons. But it is learnt that Santosh Bhoi of Attabira who gave the video cassette to different TV channels didn’t turn up to give his statement before the SEC.
When contacted, senior BJP leader Sureswar Satapathy said: “We don’t want to politicalise the issue. That’s why we didn’t meet the SEC. Only those from our party from Station Para, who were present at Acharya’s meeting, submitted their depositions before the Commission.”
However, newly elected chairman of Bargarh municipality Prasanta Behera said: “We have made it clear before the SEC that it was a party workers’ meeting, not any public meeting.” He further said that he is also a resident of the Para where Acharya addressed the party workers. “But those alleging Acharya were from other places and they were not present in the meeting,” said Behera.