IOCL campaign: Dama attacks Pradhan, seeks CBI probe into spending

Bhubaneswar: War of words continue between BJP and BJD over the photo of Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on IOCL campaign vans, as senior BJD leader and Excise minister Damodar Rout on Thursday launched a fresh attack by asking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) enquiry into spending on IOCL marketing blitz.

According to reports, the BJD heavyweight was irked they way the campaign is going on and said the Union minister has been using the money funded by IOCL as a BJP programme.

In reply, BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said Damodar Rout is feeling insecure in the party and it is better he should speak to chief minister Naveen Patanik instead of passing comments like this.

Notably, a few days back publicity vans of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) were detained on charge of using the picture of Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan with that of prime minister Narendra Modi as it was against the Supreme Court’s order that ministers’ pictures cannot be used other than the prime minister in publicity materials.

IOCL's 15 MMTPA state-of-the-art Rs 35,000-crore refinery with 15 million tonne capacity at Paradip is IOCL’s largest refinery ever which Prime Minister is going to dedicate to the nation on 7th February.