BJD and Arvind Mohapatra lock horns over suspension; party accuses Mohapatra of conspiracy

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday clarified the reasons behind the suspension of Arvind Mohapatra, stating that the party had been closely monitoring his activities through internal reports over the past 22 months.

According to party leaders, Arvind Mohapatra allegedly betrayed the organisation soon after receiving the party ticket and subsequently began working against its interests.

The BJD alleged that Aravind, along with his father, Bijoy Mohapatra, was running Patkura as a “father-son party unit” and had allegedly conspired to defeat the party’s own parliamentary candidate. The party also accused him of deliberately avoiding the use of the party symbol and the photograph of party president Naveen Patnaik at public programmes.

Further allegations include removing BJD workers from panchayat-level positions and replacing them with their own supporters. The party compared his actions to those of his father, claiming that both had earlier betrayed the party and its founder, Biju Patnaik.

BJD leader Amaresh Patri said Arvind Mohapatra had not only betrayed the party but also the people of the Patkura constituency. “After becoming an MLA, he deliberately removed BJD workers from panchayat positions and appointed his own people as chairpersons,” Patri alleged.

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Responding to the accusations, Arvind Mohapatra dismissed the claims and accused the BJD of making new allegations daily. “Instead of creating new stories repeatedly, the party should put all the allegations in writing at once. I am ready to discuss every charge,” he said.

He further stated that he would seek an appointment with BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik to present his side of the story.