BJP demands arrest of actors-BJD leaders with Oscar link

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha unit of BJP on Saturday demanded the arrest of actors turned BJD leaders Siddhant Mahapatra (Lok Sabha MP from Berhampur), Anubhav Mohanty (Rajya Sabha MP), MLA Akash Das Nayak and defeated MLA candidate Papu Pom Pom for their links with Oscar chit fund company, whose chairman Prabhas Rout was arrested by Crime Branch police from Delhi yesterday on the charge of duping people of Rs 230 crore.

Addressing media persons here this afternoon, BJP vice president Sameer Mohanty said actor-turned-politicians Siddhant Mahapatra and Anubhav Mohanty had promoted Oscar Group of companies at various programmes, which convinced people to invest in this company. This, he said, is enough ground to arrest them.

"If someone is involved directly or indirectly with a thief, then he or she will be termed as thief, won't he?" Mohanty said.

The BJP leader said the close association of these leaders showed that the ruling party was actively promoting Oscar.

Responding to Mohanty's charge, Dasnayak dared him to show which film produced by the Oscar chief he had acted in?

"Besides, how does an actor know if dubious money is used to produce a film?" he told OTV over phone.

It may be recalled that the realtor-turned-movie producer, who was hiding in a temple in New Delhi on a fake identity, had produced many Odia films with Siddhant, Anubhav and Papu Pom Pom in the lead.