Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader Pratap Sarangi accused Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik of being hand in glove with chit fund scamsters in Odisha.
Demanding the State government to publish a White Paper in connection with chit fund scam, Sarangi claimed that BJD is synonymous with Chit Fund scam and vice-versa.
"Apart from BJD leaders Rabindra Jena, Ramchandra Hansda, Pratap Biswal and Sanjay Das Burma, several other BJD MPs and MLAs and the then Advocate General Ashok Mohanty is also indirectly involved in blatantly duping hundreds of crores of depositors' money. I had reiterated the issue and the names of these scam-tainted leaders and officers but CM Naveen Patnaik lacks the guts to take any strong action against them," said Sarangi.
"The CM and his party leaders had promoted the chit fund companies during the early period so the promoters are responsible for the scam," said Sarangi.
Questioning the delay in return of chit fund money, the senior BJP leader said that while around 20 lakh people of the State have been duped and 13 lakh people have filed for compensation, the Odisha government has returned money to a paltry 1700 odd depositors.
On the other hand, comments could not be obtained from Rabindra Jena or other BJD leaders.