The `8-crore ‘chit money’ salvo fired at the ruling BJD by leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra on Tuesday snowballed into a major issue on Wednesday paralysing the State Assembly with as many as five adjournments.
While Opposition Congress and BJP members insisted on their demand for resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for inaction and Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma for taking Pajero SUVs from AT Group ponzi firm as gifts and ouster of chit fund probe panel head Justice Madan Mohan Das for giving controversial remark vis-à-vis interests of the chit fund depositors, the ruling party members termed Mishra’s accusation as untrue and baseless and stuck to seeking Mishra to tender an unconditional apology for raising ‘baseless’ accusation of `8 crore deposit in the BJD account.
The scenario continued for the whole day. The Speaker had first adjourned the House at 10.31 am as Opposition members, wearing black gowns, rushed into the Well of the House and kept raising demands and treasury bench members stood at their chairs and kept demanding Mishra to tender apology at the earliest.
When the House reassembled at 12.30 pm, law Minister Arun Sahoo read out a statement rubbishing Mishra’s charge that two chit fund accused had deposited `8 crore in the BJD account in the SBI Main Branch here.
“It is true that the account number given by the leader of Opposition belongs to the BJD. But all other accusations he made in the House are untrue and baseless. Mishra gave such untrue information because he has lost his mental balance due to old age,” Sahoo said.
He clarified that Shrikrushna Padhi, as named by Mishra, is a chit fund accused and currently lodged in jail. But Purna Candra Padhi, who deposited in party account is not his father. While Shrikurshna belongs to Soro area in Baleswar district, Purnachandra is a native of Purushottampur village in Ganjam district. He is an active member of the BJD, Sahoo said.
He demanded that Mishra tender an unconditional apology as he had mislead the House and the people of the whole State.
At this time, Opposition members were also shouting slogans in support of their demands in the Well of the House. Spaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the House till 3 pm. In the afternoon, BJD members too created ruckus time and again sticking to their demand. The Speaker adjourned the House three times till evening.