Opposition demands probe into BJD’s dubious funding in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The opposition Congress and BJP on Saturday accused the ruling Biju Janata Dal in Odisha of receiving “dubious funding” and demanded declassification of the party’s financial transactions.

They said the funding received by the BJD in the party account during the 2014 general election came from “suspicious sources”.

“The party has received money through dubious sources during the last general elections. It should come clean. The chit fund money might have been used by the BJD during elections,” said BJP Vice President Sameer Mohanty.

The accusations came following a media report on the same issue.

Mohanty said the Bharatiya Janata Party would raise the matter before the Election Commission, the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department for a detailed investigation into such irregularities.

Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the entire financial transactions of the BJD.

“There must be a CBI probe into the financial transactions of BJD. The Naveen Patnaik government, which never loses time to proclaim transparency, should come clean on the issue,” said Bahinipati.

The BJD, on its part, took no time to react to the allegation.

Party spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Pratap Deb claimed the report regarding ‘dubious funding’ was not based on facts and was prompted by vested interests.

He said the party had already made its funding public under the available legal provision.

BJD Treasurer Subash Singh also rubbished the allegation saying it was baseless.

“BJP is trying to defame BJD. All allegations levelled against our party are grossly baseless. We have made all our transactions in a transparent manner,” said Singh. (IANS)