Srikant’s Expulsion Proves Odisha Congress’ ‘Nexus’ With Mining Mafia: BJP

Bhubaneswar: The state BJP on Sunday said that expulsion of Srikant Jena exemplifies the allegation of close nexus of Odisha Congress with mining mafia.

“Niranjan and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik have a deal with the mining mafia. A non-Odia mining broker of a neighbouring state is active in Odisha who has close nexus with a powerful bureaucrat. A bulk of the mines is owned and run by Niranjan, whose brother Soumya Ranjan Patnaik is the BJD Rajya Sabha member,” BJD state vice-president Samir Mohanty told the media here on Sunday.

In his reaction, Soumya Ranjan said Mohanty should not forget the past incidents. “Can he say where were Janaki Ballav Patnaik and Niranjan Patnaik when I had joined the BJP?  Why the BJP is doing politics in the name of Patnaik family? I want to tell my BJP friends to deliberate on my involvement in mining activity if any, instead of targeting the entire Patnaik family,” he pointed out.

The BJD leader further said also said that he does politics on his own. “I had my association with the Congress and the BJP. I also formed a new party on my own. Now, I have joined the BJD. I do politics my own. The BJP should not drag my family into it,” he noted.