Opposition slams govt over arrest of BJD leaders

Main opposition party Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today slammed Biju Janata Dal (BJD) over arrest of its two leaders in connection with chit fund scam. The involvement of the ruling party leaders helped in covering up the illegal operation of the chit fud firms, they accused.

"The arrest of BJD leaders prove that the government had patronised these companies. Anyways, it is just the beginning, when the probe of all 44 companies is over, more leaders would be in jail," said Niranjan Patnaik, former president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) .

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today arrested BJD MP, Ramachandra Hansda, former BJD MLA from Keonjhar, Subarna Nayak along with former BJP MLA, Hitesh Bagarti, after interrogating them several times in past few days, on charges of involvement with Nabadiganta Capital Services Ltd, which raised money from the depositors without due clearances.The CBI has been entrusted with the task of finding the money trail of 44 chit fund companies operating in Odisha.In a separate incident, the state police has arrested a former BJD minister's brother for raising money through an NGO named 'Vishwa'.

"BJD had alleged that Congress was neck deep in corruption, now people of Odisha know who was patronising corruption", said B K Hariprasad, senior Congress leaders in charge of Odisha unit.

State BJP unit said, the recent arrests prove its earlier allegation about complicity of BJD leaders in the multi-crore scam."We had said at the time of election that ruling party MLAs are involved in the operation of chit fund companies. Now it has been proved," said Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo, head of Odisha BJP.

Chit fund scam probe has become a point of embarrassment for the ruling party, with many leaders privately relenting the decision to allow tainted leaders contest election in May on BJD ticket.

"The arrest was not surprising. It was imminent as they were involved in the formation of the company," said Amar Prasad Satapathy, spokesperson for BJD.