Bhubaneswar: Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati on Friday questioned the timing of the CBI raid on the residence of former minister and BJD MLA Debi Prasad Mishra in connection with Seashore Group chit fund scam.
Speaking to mediapersons, he said that these raids are being conducted ahead of the bypolls in Balasore Sadar and Tirtol to misled people. “This is vote-bank politics. BJD and BJP are two sides of the same coin. The ruling party had supported NDA’s Deputy Chairperson candidate for Rajya Sabha. The raid was conduction with the consent of the BJD to hoodwink people into thinking that they are not in a liaison,” he said.
Bahinipati said BJD had lost the trust and goodwill of the people of the state for its COVID-19 mismanagement.
The Congress leader further questioned the delay in the investigation. “How long has this case been going on. Why this sudden raid ahead of the polls?” he asked.
Briefing media, State BJP general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan rubbished this claim and said that those who duped people will be punished.
The former minister had earlier clarified that the CBI sleuths had come to his residence to seek information about the documents pertaining to Mahanadi Tourism project. “Since I was the Tourism Minister then, they asked me about the document of the project and I told them that they are in the department. My house was not raided,” he added.
Also Read: Chit Fund Scam: Know What Former Odisha Minister Debi Mishra Has To Say About ‘CBI Raid’
