Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police has summoned three BJP leaders over the circulation of a fake “Intel report”, which purportedly suggests declining support for Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Hinjili Assembly seat.
The Opposition BJP had used the “Intel report” to claim that fear of losing in his traditional seat had made Naveen announce his candidature from a second seat, Bijepur in western Odisha. The so-called report even warned Naveen against contesting from Hinjili, saying there was public anger against him over “lapses” in KALIA scheme and post-cyclone relief work.
On Monday, after the BJP called a press conference to claim Naveen feared he would lose from Hinjili, the Commissionerate Police lodged an FIR at Kharvel Nagar, dubbing the so-called report “fake” and “fabricated”.
Now the BJP’s state vice-president, Sameer Mohanty, spokesperson Golak Mohapatra and Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha president Tankadhar Tripathy have been asked to appear at the Kharavel Nagar police station at 10am on Friday.
In his reaction, the party vice-president alleged that the model code of conduct was being openly violated and the police had become puppets in the ruling BJD’s hands.
The FIR had even said that there was no section in the Intelligence Directorate called “SIB Political Desk” and no such letter was issued. Even the insignia on the report was found to be fake. An Intel report is categorised as either top secret, secret or confidential. This report had none, the FIR said.
While political observers see the report as an attempt by the Opposition to sully the reputation of the ruling dispensation in the run-up to the polls, top BJP leaders prefer to maintain a stoic silence on the issue.
