Senior Congress leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati said Nanda’s argument of non-involvement of his son in the attack on the kin of the Congress leader is untrue. In an interview with the channel, Bahinpati also put forward proofs to justify his claims that the Mass Education minister’s son was present at the crime spot.
Q: Minister Rabi Narayan Nanda is alleging that when he and some of his supporters were standing in front of the minister’s house in Jeypore before election, your brother Tuna Bahinipati and one Chhattisgarhi person went there and threatened Nanda. What do you say about that?
A: It is highly unbelievable as the SDPO’s office and residence are close to the minister’s house. No logical mind would agree with the statement that someone had got down from a vehicle there and threatened the minister. My question is why did not he inform police about this? Why my brother will do that?
Q: Are the allegations against the minister politically motivated?
A: This is completely untrue.
I have the proof that my allegations are not baseless. For instance the minister said his son had left the town at 6pm on the day the incident happened. But the hotel’s CCTV footage showed he was present in the hotel till 8.30pm; we have already given the footage to police.
Q: How can you say the Mass Education minister’s son was present at the spot as Nanda has given proof that his son was not present at the spot that day? As per the minister the proofs are: a) Welcome to AP message that got delivered to mobile phone of Nanda’s son when he crossed Sunki gate towards Andhra Pradesh from Bhubaneswar at 1030 pm. 2. At Rambhadrapuram, while eating at a food joint co-passengers of the bus have seen him. 3: Even toll gate on NH-5 has the CCTV footage with pictures of Junior Nanada. Besides he has the receipt of the fee paid at the gates.
A: Firstly, as the election process is on, the food-joint the minister is talking about gets closed before 11pm. It is highly possible the witnesses, the minister is talking about, might be friends and relatives of either the minister or his son. Similarly, they might have sent the phones outside the state deliberately; there is no weight in Nanda’s argument.
Q: Who told you the minister’s son was involved in the crime?
A: My brother and his friends told me. At 1pm night no one else is expected to be present at the crime spot other than the victims.
Why a political leader would associate with people having criminal backgrounds and involve them in party work? I am into the politics to work for the people of my district, not for personal gains.
Q: People are saying Tara Bahinipati is an influential leader in Koraput. Your comments.
A: No, I am the fighter son of the Koraput district. My purpose of entering politics is to fight for the rights of the district. Starting from setting up of a Central university to rail project, I fought for them.