Suspended MLAs part of conspiracy to weaken BJD: Party spokesperson

Bhubaneswar, Jan 17 (PTI) BJD president Naveen Patnaik suspended two party MLAs as they were part of a conspiracy to weaken the regional outfit, a party spokesperson claimed on Saturday.

BJD spokesperson and media coordinator Lenin Mohanty told reporters that our party president does not tolerate corruption and traitors.

Mohanty said that those who betray the party will face action.

He claimed that MLAs -Arvind Mohapatra and Sanatan Mahakud - were part of a conspiracy hatched to weaken the BJD.

Defending the action to suspend the two MLAs, Mohanty said, "It was a conscious decision reached after months of careful consideration and feedback from grassroots workers. Concrete evidence supported the action against the two lawmakers." He called it a "midday operation", similar to an earlier failed "midnight operation" hatched allegedly to oust Patnaik from the government when he was on a tour to London in 2012.

"A well-planned plot was carried out over the last few months to weaken the BJD from within. Three people were mostly involved in the plot. They were identified as former minister Bijoy Mohapatra (expelled from BJD 25 years ago), his son MLA Arvind Mohapatra and MLA Sanatan Mahakud. While Bijay was backing the conspiracy, Arvind had been coordinating with others and Mahakud implementing the plans," Mohany said.

"The midnight operation failed in 2012. Now the midday operation has also failed. If there is any other plan, all such attempts also will fail," Mohanty said, adding that these people had been working on the plan for four months. "The action against the two MLAs was taken based on proper evidence," he said.

Asserting that unity and discipline are non-negotiable in BJD, Mohanty said that no individual or group will be allowed to weaken the party for personal or political gain.

The BJD spokesperson said, "Mahakud had earlier criticised the BJD for dismal development of Keonjhar district in the last 24 years and openly praised chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi." Arvind's father, Bijoy Mohapatra, one of the founding members of the BJD, was denied a party ticket in the 2000 general elections and unceremoniously expelled soon after the party came to power in Odisha.

It was now alleged that Bijoy attempted to avenge the humiliation through his son.

Responding to Mohanty’s statement, Arvind rejected the allegations and termed them as "baseless and unfounded".

"I have met MLA Mahakud only a few times at the Assembly. They are dragging my father (Bijoy) into controversy. He has nothing to do with the BJD and its affairs," Arvind said.

He said, "I request the party leadership to explain the kind of anti-party activities in which I am involved... There is no point in dragging the name of my father into all such controversies." PTI AAM AAM RG