BHUBANESWAR: Even as a delegation of the State BJP met Income Tax Commissioner here on Monday, seeking an investigation into allegations of dubious funds of the BJD, the regional outfit dared the saffron party to reveal its source of funds received during the last 10 years.
“The BJP, which has pointed finger at the BJD, should clarify the source of its unaccounted funds,” Rajya Sabha member and BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb told media persons. Stating that the campaign against BJD over unaccounted funds is totally false, Deb said the information doled out by BJP spokespersons in this regard is also based on the incorrect document.
Deb alleged about 5,000 crores has been transferred to BJP and Congress bank accounts from different unknown sources in the last 10 years. All transactions of BJD were made in a transparent manner through banks, he said and added the charge brought by the BJP is just a political vendetta.
The BJD does not have any account in the name, ‘SBI main branch’ in the State Bank of India (SBI), Deb said and added that the BJP is trying to tarnish the image of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the regional party by raising the issue. “We condemn such acts in the strongest possible terms,” Deb said and added that the party will take legal action in this regard.
Meanwhile, a five-member team from BJP moved the IT Commissioner seeking a thorough inquiry into the alleged discrepancies in the data of ruling BJD’s election expenditure.
“Crores of rupees from the State and outside have come to BJD account from unknown sources. The money mostly came from chit fund companies. We urged the Income Tax commissioner to inquire into the matter,” BJP vice-president Sameer Mohanty said.
Mohanty said, without clarifying the core issue raised by his party, BJD is trying to divert attention by threatening legal action. BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma, secretary of State unit Kalandi Samal and national vice-president of BJP Yuva Morcha Thakur Ranjit Das were present at the media conference.