BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Thursday sought an explanation from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the allegations made by two senior Biju Janata Dal leaders against his Government. “The Chief Minister owes an explanation to the people as the allegations made by former ministers Damodar Rout and Debasis Nayak are very serious,” senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra told media conference here. While Nayak alleged that the corruption was all pervasive and governance had collapsed, Rout said that Pyarimohan Mohapatra, MP, is the real power centre and the Chief Minister is only the executor. They further alleged that the Chief Minister did not consult the Council of Ministers on important issues or prefer to discuss them in the Cabinet. Nayak who was recently suspended from the BJD for anti-party activities had gone on record saying that the multi-crore mining scam started during the Naveen Patnaik Government and corruption were not limited to one department. This vindicated the BJP which recently released a 10-point chargesheet against the Government, Mohapatra said. The Government is suffering from five deficiencies - lack of governance, democratic functioning, ethics, transparency and honesty,” the BJP leader said adding, never such a situation was seen in the State. So far the Chief Minister has not replied to the charges made by the two senior party members who were part of his Cabinet. He cannot suppress these allegations by suspending leaders from the party, Mohapatra remarked. When the BJP raised the corruption issue against the Government, the Chief Minister described it as politically motivated. Now he has to answer the questions raised by his partymen, he said. The Chief Minister has the prerogative to drop any minister or suspend any leader from the party, but since the issues raised by the duo pertain to public domain and State’s interest, he owes an explanation to the people. To a question, Mohapatra said that internal disorder of the BJD was the biggest law and order problem in the State. To another question, he said that the State cannot afford to run without a finance minister for such a long time. The incumbent Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadei is under treatment abroad for more than two months.
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