Bhubaneswar: The Congress on Monday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the Pipili gang rape and murder case.
Briefing mediapersons at the Congress Bhawan here, chief of the OPCC media cell Satya Prakash Nayak said resignation of Agriculture and Panchayati Raj minister Pradeep Maharathy from the ministry is another political stunt of the Chief Minister.
“Justice PK Mohanty Commission of Inquiry, probing the Pipili gang rape and murder, had submitted the report to the state government on March 30, 2016. But the Chief Minister is sitting on the report since then. The report should be made public without further delay and the Chief Minister should initiate action as per the recommendations of the Commission,” Nayak pointed out.
As per law, a fresh investigation can be made if it is not properly investigated by the police, he said.
“The state unit of Congress is not satisfied with the ouster of Maharathy from the ministry as the Chief Minster employs such political stunt to fool the people of Odisha. Since he is in charge of the Home portfolio, he should either relinquish the portfolio or he should resign as Chief Minister owning moral responsibility,” he added.
Commenting on the demand of the Congress, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said if such matters are discussed in the media, the criminal activities of the Congress will come to the fore. “We don’t want to go to such mean level. We hope that the Congress will refrain from such allegations failing which the BJD will open its past history before the people of Odisha in the coming days,” he warned.
