Congress mentioned bank account belongs to BJD, admits party

Odisha Law Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo today admitted that the bank account, in which Rs eight crore was allegedly deposited in a single day, belonged to the ruling BJD, a day after Opposition Congress sought a reply from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the issue.
However, Sahoo denied Congress' allegation that BJD has links with chit fund scam, as the stalemate in the Assembly continued for the fifth day today.
The law minister admitted in the House that the SBI account number given by the Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress belonged to ruling BJD.
Mishra had yesterday sought a reply from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on how BJD was associated with a bank account which received Rs 8 crore in a single day.

Keeping silent on Mishra's allegation of Rs 8 crore deposited in the said account in one day, Sahoo said it is no secret that political parties received funds from General Electoral Trust between 2000 and 2014.
"While Congress received Rs 100 crore from the General Electoral Trust between 2000 and 2014, BJP's share is Rs 70 crore. The BJD has received about Rs 13 crore from the said trust," the law minister said.

"We fail to understand how the leader of opposition raised this matter. Is it due to his ignorance or has he been trying to mislead the people?," he asked.

Sahoo said the BJD has already informed the Election Commission about its income and expenditure besides filing income tax return as per law.
Mishra had also wanted to know from the Chief Minister on Purna Chandra Padhi, father of Sri Krishna Padhi, and if he was involved in the chit fund scam and jailed.
Sri Krishna Padhi is in jail after being arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the chit fund scam.
Sahoo said Purna Chandra Padhi is a BJD worker hailing from Ganjam district and he is not the father of Sri Krishna Padhi, who is an accused in the chit fund scam.

"We considered the leader of opposition as a wise man. But, his yesterday's statement in the Assembly shows his senility," Sahoo said.
Claiming that the attempt to link BJD with chit fund scam is not new, the law minister said the OPCC president had made similar allegation earlier.
Sahoo said BJD need not learn morality lessons from a party "whose leaders are in the dock for National Herald case as also in Bofors and AgustaWestland cases."
Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the House amid uproar when Congress Chief Whip Taraprasad Bahinipati climbed the Speaker's podium and broke his mike, before the minister completed his statement.

The House witnessed uproarious scenes since morning. Congress and BJP members stormed into the well and shouted slogans while wearing black aprons.
They demanded dismissal of Justice MM Das, chairman of chit-fund commission, and resignation of Food and Supply minister Sanjay Das Burma.
They also demanded resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for allegedly shielding chit fund tainted leaders.