Pranab Das Throws Challenge To Odisha Govt; ‘Arrest Me If I Have Done Corruption’

Jajpur: Under attack after his crushing defeat in last elections, senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Pranab Prakash Das has thrown an open challenge to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Odisha to arrest him if he has done any corruption.

Speaking at BJD’s Jan Sampark Padyatra in Jajpur, the former Minister, popularly known as ‘Bobby’, said that Mohan Majhi government has completed almost four months in office. However, no action could be taken despite BJP making wild allegations against him, he said.

“If I have committed any corruption, why the BJP government is not taking steps to arrest me? They are free to put me behind the bars if I am involved in corrupt activities,” said Das, seeking to know as to what stops the BJP government from arresting despite making noise against him.

Claiming that BJP is trying to rake up some 15-year-old matter to create noise, the BJD leader said he is again ready to fight for the development of Jajpur.

“If I have committed any wrong for the development of Jajpur, then I am ready to do it again,” said Das, considered one of the most important leaders after Naveen Patnaik in BJD.
Amid BJP’s growing popularity, Das also appeared to have hinted that he would contest for a by-election in Jajpur.

Das, who was defeated by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the election to Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat, is now giving his entire focus on Jajpur and the seven assembly seats falling under it.

Reacting sharply to the remarks made by Das, a senior BJP leader said BJD leaders wanted to remain in power for generations and they are not comfortable after their party was voted out. They are not able to digest rejection by the people in the last elections.