Bhubaneswar: The notice served by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking details of Pajero SUVs owned by minister Sanjay Dasburma, has kicked up a storm with opposition parties demanding the resignation of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister for receiving doles from a chit fund company.
After a representative of Dasburma visited the CBI office on Wednesday to furnish the details sought by CBI, his lawyer today appeared before agency officials.
“From the beginning BJP has been highlighting the issue. However, the State government has always maintained that law will take its own course in the matter. Now it boils down to what decision CM Naveen Patnaik takes. The CM has taken strict action at the mere mention of corruption against his cabinet members. Now that a notice has been served and the Dasburma’s lawyer has appeared before the CBI, the CM should prove his integrity,” said BJP’s Samir Mohanty.
“The CBI summoned Dasburma only because there is some involvement. His involvement was first highlighted by AT chief Pradeep Sethi and also by the Congress. However, with the CBI notice, all doubts over his links have been laid to rest. At least for the sake of a clean political environment, the minister should resign immediately,” said BJP general secretary Prithwiraj Harichandan.
“The law will take its own course, but prima facie, the CM should ask Dasburma to step down on moral grounds. If proven otherwise, he can always reinstate him in his cabinet,” he added.
Echoing the BJP leader's view, Congress leader Pradeep Majhi also demanded Dasburma’s resignation on moral grounds.
Congress leader Lulu Mohapatra, who sparked the controversy after alleging a minister’s link with Artha Tatwa chit fund company and receiving a vehicle from its owner, said today “The moment I received the information about a minister’s involvement, I informed the media about it. In the charge sheet, there was a name mentioned without any address and designation. The only question I raised was about the identity of the person and subsequently things came out in public. The recent string of events only prove that whatever I said was correct.”
Meanwhile, BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb said; “All cases related to the chit fund scam is being investigated by the CBI and the process is on since past two years. Our party has always welcomed the investigation, but it has to be impartial. In the present context in which the notice has been sent to Dasburma, we somehow smell politics in it. The reason being the whole issue was instigated by a politician's statement in the media.”