BJP Questions Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik’s Silence On Huge Cash Haul In I-T Raids; BJD Hits Back

Bhubaneswar: Hitting out at Odisha’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government over huge cash haul during Income Tax raids against distillery group in the state, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday sought to know as to why Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is silent on the issue.

Addressing a press meet in Bhubaneswar, BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal said it is surprising that the Chief Minister is not uttering a word on the seizure of over Rs 351 crore during searches at multiple locations of a liquor group, though he always speaks about law taking its own course.

Seeking to know as to why Naveen is silent on the issue, the BJP leader wondered whether the Chief Minister is apprehensive that the investigation may find any link between his government and the liquor mafias.

Biswal claimed that the Chief Minister had inaugurated the liquor manufacturing unit of Boudh Distilleries Private Limited at Harabhanga in Boudh in a virtual mode under the Make In Odisha initiative in 2019.

Claiming that many proposals for industrial projects are languishing under bureaucratic red tape in the state for years, he said the liquor manufacturing plant was ready for inauguration in just one year, after its approval in 2018.

This apart, the Chief Minister also managed to spare time from his busy schedule for the inauguration of the liquor plant, Biswal said, adding that Naveen never finds time to visit any school or college.

Coming down heavily on the CM, the BJP leader sought to know what ties exist between Naveen and the liquor group, which has 62 country-liquor manufacturing units in Balangir district alone.

Lamenting that the district does not have a single milk processing plan, Biswal sought to know whether the Naveen Niwas gets any kickback from the distillery group for allowing them smooth operation in the state. The BJP leader sought an explanation from the ruling BJD on the issue.

Refuting the allegation, BJD spokesperson Swayam Prakash Mohapatra accused the saffron party of trying to protect Congress over the I-T raids.

Stating that the huge amount of cash was seized from the premises linked to a Congress MP, he said state BJP has been making false allegations against BJD in order to shield the grand old party. It seems Odisha BJP has entered into a deal with Congress to defame the state and BJD government, Mohapatra claimed.

It is surprising that the state BJP is targeting BJD while the saffron party’s central leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah, have attacked Congress over the record cash haul from the liquor group owned by the family of a Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand.