Pyari meets Guv, demands CM

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Jan Morcha (OJM) chief and Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra met Governor S C Jamir at the Raj Bhavan here on Saturday and demanded removal of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

"He (Naveen Patnaik) is unfit for the post of chief ministership. We demand his immediate dismissal from the post for his undemocratic activities," said Mohapatra after the meeting. He also alleged that the Chief Minister was behind the arrest of Jagneswar Babu.

However, refuting Mohapatra's allegations BJD leader and health minister Damodar Rout  said, "There is no politics involved in Babu's arrest. Action has been taken as per law."

Earlier in the day, OJM staged a rally in the city to protest against the arrest of its secretary general.

Babu has been in custody on charges of corruption as president of Odisha State Cooperative Bank (OSCB) since Thursday. The case against Babu is that he resorted to financial irregularities in sanctioning a loan of Rs 36.18 crore from the OSCB to Bijayananda Cooperative Sugar Mill, Balangir, in 12 instalments from 2009 to 2010.

Meanwhile, Additional Special Judge (Vigilance) on Saturday deferred the hearing of Babu’s bail plea to Monday.