Cong flays Naveen for mining, chit fund scams

Congress leader says If he is clean, Patnaik should order a CBI investigation against the mining mafias and chit fund scam in the state

The Congress party on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik for various malaises afflicting the state.

"He has failed as a chief minister. Just having a good image is not enough. There are serious allegations against his government and ministers," said the AICC (All India Congress Committee) general secretary in-charge of Odisha, B K Hariprasad.

"If he is clean, Patnaik should order a CBI investigation against the mining mafias and chit fund scam in the state," Hariprasad told media persons here.

Confident of coming back to power with full majority, the Congress leader said, "Our party will come out with a charge sheet highlighting issues like illegal mining, deterioration in law and order and chit fund scams in the state." Hariparasad said, unlike Karnataka, where ministers and the chief minister were put behind bars for involvement in mining scam, the investigations into illegal mining in Odisha have not been done properly.

Hariparasad, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka, stated that if a CBI probe is conducted into the mining irregularities in Odisha, as demanded by our party, then most of the ministers of Naveen cabinet will be packed off to jail.

The Congress leader clarified that the party will fight the ensuing general elections in the state under the leadership of the recently appointed Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President, Jayadev Jena and opposition leader Bhupinder Singh.

Hariprasad, who conducted a series of meeting with the senior party leaders and workers, said, PCC is finalising a ten month action plan keeping in view the ensuing elections.