BHUBANESWAR: The Opposition BJP and Congress on Friday targeted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the issue of expulsion and arrest of MLA Pradeep Panigrahi on corruption charges and said that he (Naveen Patnaik) should also be probed in this connection. Stating that Panigrahi is a product of BJD and groomed by the Chief Minister, BJP general secretary Lekhashree Samantsinghar said that the system helped him amass money through huge corruption, the lion’s share of which is being enjoyed by the party. “Now that the Pathaks have been exposed, Panigrahi was also arrested,” she said.
Stating that the Chief Minister indulged him for so long, Samantsinghar asked how can he be free from the stains of corruption. If Panigrahi is guilty, then the Chief Minister should also be made to share it, she said. Claiming that the arrest of Panigrahi was politically motivated, senior Congress MLA Suresh Kumar said that the expelled leader was exposed when Pathak father and son were arrested. “When Panigrahi started dropping names in the Pathak case, he was arrested by the ruling party. He paid the price for making allegations against the ruling party,” he said.