Senior Congress leader and Union Minister Srikant Jena on Fridaylaunched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik alleging that he has links with private financial frauds in the State and demanded a free and fair probe by the CBI.
“The role of the Chief Minister in the chit fund scams is dubious. In 2011, Naveen himself attended the launching programme of a private TV channel at the Janata Maidan whose chief was the owner of a biggest chit fund company in the State and also posed for photographs with him,” said Union Minister Srikant Jena.
He said, “The presence of the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik virtually gave lincence to the chit fund company to impress people to deposit money without any hesitations.”
“In this context, let Naveen explain his stand and give a statement,” said Jena, urging Patnaik to order a CBI inquiry to unravel the truth.
Stating that nearly 20 lakh families are affected by the chit fund scams, Jena also urged the Government to take initiatives to ensure safe return of the money to the depositors.