BHUBANESWAR: Problems seem to be mounting for Bhubaneswar Mayor Anant Narayan Jena who is embroiled in a controversy over an objectionable video allegedly featuring him with the state BJP giving a call for four-hour 'chakka jam' across the state tomorrow demanding his resignation.
Meanwhile, union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan today described the allegations against the Mayor serious and said it is a matter of concern if there is any truth behind it.
Referring to media reports about the link of the objectionable video with the alleged murder of a student, the union minister said it seemed the investigating agencies and police did not treat the matter seriously. "It appears that there was attempt to suppress the case," the minister said and added that common
people will lose confidence in the system if allegations against influential people are not investigated properly.
About the sting operation on the alleged demand for cash made by BJD MLAs for setting up industries in their constituencies, Pradhan said police went after people who had raised the charges instead of the accused persons. In this case also, the police has gone after those who raised the issue, he said.
General secretary of the state BJP Pruthwiraj Harichandan announced that the 'chakka jam' will be organised at all the urban local bodies (ULBs) of the state tomorrow from 10 am to 2 pm. Alleging that the murder of the engineering student was well planned, he demanded that the video should be sent to a central forensic laboratory for ascertaining the truth.
The Congress today reiterated its demand for a CBI probe into the entire incident. "The party wants a CBI probe into the matter which is linked to the murder of an engineering student," president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Prasad Harichandan said and criticised the police for targeting state president of National Students Union of India (NSUI) Itish Pradhan on the issue.