BHUBANESWAR: As details about the links of Gangster Tito with political leaders are slowly coming to the fore, a war of words has started between the BJD and BJP. Both the parties are blaming each other for turning a blind eye to Tito’s criminal activities. The BJD on Thursday demanded the resignation of Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan for irregularities in allotment of petrol pumps to the gangster and his family members. While permission for the petrol pump at Bada Hata in Kendrapara district, which is in the name of the gangster’s wife Benazir Bibi, was given by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) in December, 2015, the oil PSU allotted another petrol pump to Tito at Paradip Port Trust (PPT) area in Jagatsinghpur district in 2017.
The second petrol pump is also owned by the gangster’s wife, said BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb. As this comes under Pradhan’s Ministry, he should immediately quit, the Rajya Sabha member said. As Tito has more than 45 criminal cases against him, allotment of two petrol pumps in the name of his family members has raised questions, Deb said and added that such decisions have led to criminalisation of politics in Odisha.
Deb sought answers as to when IOCL authorities came to know about irregularities in allotment of fuel stations to Tito and whether Pradhan was aware of such irregularities or not. Rejecting the charges and showing a picture of Tito’s brothers joining BJD, BJP spokesperson Pitambar Acharya alleged that Tito was running his criminal empire under the patronage of BJD leaders of the district.
Criticising the BJD for opposing CBI probe recommended by Pradhan into the allotment of fuel outlets to Tito and his family members, Acharya alleged that BJD leaders have encouraged the gangster to spread his criminal activities including tender fixing to amass wealth. A CBI probe will expose the links Tito had with the BJD leaders, he said.